Chemicals React
by LadyOfGlencairn
Summary: Thea Queen is back in Starling City after 3 years abroad, ready to start her new life. Tommy Merlyn is floundering-his relationship with Laurel falling apart, his past haunting him-he doesn't even know that he is in desperate need of saving. What starts out as the rekindling of an old friendship becomes more complicated when unexpected feelings start to surface. Set after "Home".
1. Chapter 1: Out Of My Element

**A/N: Hello Readers! I did mention that I love the idea of Tommy and Thea as a couple, but that I didnt think that it could work in the current arrow-verse since Thea is still so young and needs to mature. Therefore, I decided to set the story after "Home" since I feel that enough time has passed for both characters to make the relationship more believable.**

**FOR NEW READERS: This story is set AFTER my first Arrow fanfic telling Oliver and Felicity's story. It's called, Home. Feel free to check it out first if you like continuity.**

**Thanks for reading! I hope you review.**

**LadyG**

* * *

Thea Queen was adjusting to life back in Starling City. For three years she'd been at the International Fashion Academy in Paris honing her skills as a designer and aspiring entrepreneur. Her decision to not venture into the family business had been received surprisingly well, a thing she suspected her brother had a lot to do with. The idea of sitting behind a desk in a plush office at Queen Consolidated had never appealed to her. Her stubborn nature combined with her creative flair demanded that she follow her own dreams and not allow her life's path to be dictated by the weight of expectation.

It was a bright summer's morning, the birds chirping merrily, the world filled with endless possibilities. While sitting at the kitchen counter scanning the latest edition of US Weekly and cradling a cup of freshly brewed coffee, Moira Queen entered. "Thea, there you are. I'm going to visit Felicity and Robbie this afternoon. Would you like to come along?" Her mother was dressed in a pale grey designer suit, en route to work.

"I have an appointment with a realtor this afternoon. We're going over some potential space for my new boutique. Maybe it might be better if I meet you there?" Thea didn't actually want to go with her mother. She had a tendency to hover which Thea found more than a little annoying.

"Oh. You're moving fast," Moira commented as she dropped some paperwork into her briefcase.

Thea recognised her mother's tone – a mixture of curiosity, concern and disapproval. Steeling herself for a potential clash of wills, she turned to face her parent. "I've been home for a month, Mom. I think it's time to start planning my future."

Moira looked at her uncertainly. "Are you _sure_ this is what you want?" She carried her purse over to the counter and stood beside Thea's chair. "You know that there will always be a place for you at Queen Consolidated if-"

Thea put a hand up to silence her mother. "Mom. Stop. We've already discussed this a thousand times. I _know_ what I want. I didn't decide to go to school for three years just to come back and slip into a role you've tried to mould me into since I was a child. I'm not interested. I'm never going to be."

Moira opened her mouth and then shut it. Thea could tell she was choosing her words carefully. "It's not that I doubt your interest in…"

"Design. You can say it, Mom." Thea stood up and closed her magazine, the flapping pages causing her naturally wavy brown hair to sway against her shoulders.

"Thea-" Moira began, apologetically.

Her green eyes flashing with irritation, Thea grabbed her magazine in one hand and her coffee in the other. "Why is it so hard for you to accept me as I am? Why are you always trying to fix me? To change me? I'm trying here. I've always tried to please you without losing myself in the process. But no matter what I do, or say, or try…it's never enough!"

Moira placed her hands on her daughter's shoulders. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to upset you. I just-I don't want you to make a mistake."

The sincere look in her mother's eyes soothed her temper somewhat. "This is not a mistake…and even if it is, it's mine to make. I _need_ you to accept that." Her tone was pleading.

Running a hand over Thea's hair, Moira smiled at her. "I _am_ proud of you. I hope you know that. I'm sorry if I've been a pest, it's a mother's prerogative. One day if you're ever fortunate enough to have a daughter, you'll understand."

They hugged. "I love that you care, but you have to let go."

Moira smiled sadly. "I'm trying. Just have a little patience with me?" They drew apart. "Now, I need to get to the office. I'll see you at Oliver's later?"

Thea nodded. She probably wouldn't be there by the time her mother arrived, but she wasn't going to get into an argument about that. "I'll see you later."

"Alright. Good luck with the realtor."

Thea sighed heavily. She was relieved that her mother hadn't offered to help. Chances were they'd probably disagree on everything and wind up at each another's throats.

Walking up the stairs, she made her way to her bedroom. A lot had changed in the years she'd been away from home. Ollie had gotten married midway through and now had a son, she'd gained a sister who she got along with famously and her mother had settled into life without Walter. There'd been no news on his disappearance despite all their best efforts to find something, anything.

Closing her bedroom door behind her, she flopped onto her bed, her mind wandering. She'd been a little surprised at seeing Tommy Merlyn at her mother's birthday party. Not because it was unusual for him to be invited to a Queen gathering, but because she hadn't seen him since Ollie and Felicity's wedding day. At the time he'd also been with Laurel Lance, but he'd seemed happier then than he had the other night.

She thought back on the fool she'd made of herself at seventeen, throwing herself at him in a drunken moment, shortly after Oliver had returned from the dead. He'd behaved like the perfect gentleman afterwards and never mentioned it again, but Thea couldn't forget. She'd had the biggest crush on him as a teen and the opportunities to see him had been plenty since he and Ollie were best friends. Then the accident had happened that had killed her father and left her brother stranded on an island for five years. Those had been dark times for everyone.

She hadn't seen much of Tommy then, but based on tabloid reports, he'd been boozing, drugging and spending way too much time in the company of questionable women. Then Oliver returned and Tommy was back on the scene, back in her life.

They'd always had a good relationship, but she knew he'd only seen her as an extension of Oliver – the kid sister – and he'd treated her accordingly. A thing she'd resented as she grew older, but inevitably accepted and then forgot about once she left home.

She hadn't thought about Tommy Merlyn in _that _way in a long time. Her life had moved in a different direction and with so many new and exciting things afoot, the crush she'd once had had faded to a dusty memory.

Pushing those thoughts from her mind she climbed off the bed and got ready for the day ahead.

* * *

"You can place those crates over there, please." Tommy directed a delivery boy as he checked the incoming stock. Verdant was doing really well, the club a popular spot for the young and trendy. Signing the delivery notes, he headed toward the back office. There was a lot to do before they opened that evening, the most important being confirming the booking he'd make for the entertainment.

That done, he took a moment for himself. He'd spent the previous night at the Merlyn Mansion, still not quite sure why. Laurel had expected him to stay over at her apartment, as he'd done most nights since they started seeing one another three years earlier; he'd practically moved in. However, he hadn't felt like it. They talked, but rarely about matters that were particularly important to either of them. He didn't know when their relationship had changed from the exciting, supportive one it started out as to what it now resembled: stale, safe and indifferent.

He loved her, always had, since the time they were kids. Even when she'd been with Oliver, he'd harboured his secret feelings but never thought anything would come from it. Then Oliver had disappeared and he'd spiralled out of control. In an attempt to escape his grief he'd mixed with some dangerous people and made some really bad decisions. After a long internal struggle and many paternal interventions he'd finally cleaned himself up. Laurel had been instrumental in making him see that he could be better, that he _was _better than the billionaire bad boy image he'd been perpetuating.

However, instead of growing together and having their relationship strengthen over time, their lives had diverged. He'd got caught up in the club and his ambiguity around getting involved in the Merlyn Global Group and she'd taken on a bigger case load, her job consuming most of her time and her head space. They started living past one another and the reality had only hit him once he'd seen his best friend's happiness and compared it to his own.

Oliver and Felicity were a team, in more ways than one. There was a deep love between them, tempered by understanding, humour, respect and patience. The only thing he and Laurel had been for a long time was occasional bed partners – and even that had become more an automated act based on a need rather than a way of expressing their love for each other.

Shaking his head to dispel the gloomy thoughts, he was about to check his email when Oliver walked in. The other man looked so happy Tommy felt a pang of envy in the pit of his stomach. "What are you doing here? Didn't your wife just have a kid?"

Oliver gave him a goofy smile. "Felicity and Robbie are resting peacefully. I thought I'd stop by." Oliver sat down in the vacant chair opposite Tommy's, throwing his jacket over the desk.

"All good here. Most of the prep's done for tonight. Everything should run smoothly, as usual."

Oliver raised an eyebrow. "I'm not checking up on you."

"Never thought you were. Besides, if I wasn't here, you wouldn't know where to begin." Tommy grinned.

Oliver laughed. "Whatever happened to your vow to become more mature?"

"This is a part of my progress. I'm learning to be like you. What does Dig call it? Confidence with a dash of arrogance?" Tommy smirked.

Rolling his eyes, Oliver replied, "Since when do you quote Diggle?"

"Whatever."

"Now you sound like Thea."

Tommy's mind flashed briefly to the last time he'd seen Oliver's sister, her eyes dancing with merriment, her smile sassy. "How's she settling in?"

"Okay, under the circumstances." At Tommy's curious look, Oliver explained. "My mother's probably underfoot, second guessing her every decision, being generally overbearing."

Tommy made a face. "I'm sure that's going well." Thea's stubborn streak was bound to chafe against her mother's pushy nature.

"Yeah. I wanted to ask her to come and stay with us, but Felicity reminded me that my mother would probably be offended at the suggestion."

"Probably," Tommy agreed. "What are her plans now that she's back?" He felt strangely curious to know what the girl he'd once known had decided to do with her life as a woman.

Oliver's phone vibrated. He smiled apologetically at Tommy. "It's my wife. I'm needed back home." He stood and reached for his jacket. "Why don't you come over for dinner sometime this week? Let me know when you're free. I'll ask Thea to come too. You can catch up."

Tommy waved at his friend as he exited the office. Perhaps he would take Oliver up on his offer. He was eager to see Thea again, her candid nature and unique sense of humour having always appealed to him. Satisfied with his choice, he went back to work.


	2. Chapter 2: Walking On

By the following afternoon Thea was completely overwhelmed by the sheer amount of options she had. The realtor had thoroughly done his homework and shown her five different locations that suited all her main requirements – a space large enough for design and storage as well as ample natural night on the front floor that would be used for display purposes.

Taking a break from the crazy, she sat down at Big Belly Burger and ordered a coffee while she sifted through the information. Of the five potential properties, she ruled out one since that particular building wasn't quite in the right setting. Taking that folder out of the batch she had laid out on the table, she shoved it aside.

She knew that she needed help, but asking her mother was not an option. Moira would most likely take over the entire process, thinking she was doing Thea a favour, but because she wanted to be the one to make the final decision, involving her mother would be a disaster. She'd also considered asking Ollie, but he had a lot going on at the moment and she felt guilty about asking for more of his time. Sighing heavily she applied her mind to making a decision.

"If it isn't Thea Queen looking all grown up, and appearing busy to boot," came a familiar voice from behind her right shoulder.

Smiling to herself, she didn't turn around. "A noise. I hear a noise. Whatever could that annoying sound be?"

Chucking, Tommy made himself comfortable in the seat opposite hers. "Isn't it too early in the day for you to be up and about? I recall that you mostly surfaced closer to dusk than dawn."

Thea threw her hands in the air, rolling her eyes mockingly. "You've got me. My dreams of being a vampire have been temporarily shelved in order to interact with humans. It's a sad day for me and my kind."

"Always _so_ dramatic," he said, laughing.

"I know, I know. I've missed my calling."

"What's all this?" he asked as he pointed to the folders filled with papers.

"First of all, I do not recall inviting you to join me. Second of all, this," she said, pulling the folders closer to her, her eyes alight with mirth, "is none of your business, Merlyn."

Tommy leaned forward, his elbows braced on the table. "I don't need an invitation, Speedy. I'm an honorary Queen. Now stop being coy and tell me what you're up to." He caught the waitress's attention and ordered some coffee.

Eyeing him in amusement, Thea pushed the papers towards him. "Seeing as you're here and I realise it might be impossible to get rid of you, you may as well make yourself useful." She watched as a slow smile spread across his face, transforming his handsomeness to borderline hotness. _How did I forget how attractive he is?_

The thought came straight out of nowhere. Deciding that it was best not to analyse it, she moved on. "I'm looking to purchase a property for my new store. These," she gestured towards the folders he was thumbing through, "are my options. I can't decide which one I like most."

Tommy looked at her in surprise. "Oliver mentioned something about you wanting to set up shop. I didn't realise you'd already started making plans."

"Shocked that the ex-party girl/reformed recreational drug user actually has some dreams of her own?" Her words though light, contained a hint of fire.

Serious for a moment, Tommy shook his head. "That's not what I meant. I think it's great that you're doing what clearly makes you happy."

They stared at each other for a moment. "Thanks," Thea said, her stomach doing a strange flip.

Tommy broke eye contact first, looking down at the photos he'd extracted from the folders. "There's a lot of potential here. You should narrow your choices down to those that most meet your requirements. Take location, current space and potential expansion into consideration. You don't want to be caught unawares should you need a bigger place down the road."

Thea looked at him, suspiciously. "When did you get to know so much about real estate?" His advice made perfect sense.

He gave her an exasperated look. "I'm running your brother's club. I'm not a complete idiot."

"Just a partial one?" At his raised eyebrow she grinned. "You said it."

Shaking his head, a smile hovering, he closed the folders. "I think these are some great options."

Thea watched him as an idea took root. "Tommy, do you think you could help me choose one? I'd ask my Mom, but well, I'm sure you know how that's likely to go. And Ollie has a full plate. I don't want to burden him with my problems."

"He'd never regard your asking him for help as a burden, Thea."

She sighed. "I know. I-I just want to be able to do something on my own, without having to call on my family to help me."

* * *

_She's changed._ The wild child he'd known a few years back wouldn't have cared all that much about anyone else's feelings. What Thea wanted, Thea usually got. That restless energy that had accompanied her everywhere was also gone. Instead, her green eyes were bright with intelligence, maturity and drive.

Tommy understood her desire to prove to her family that she was capable. He'd spent his entire life trying to show his father that he wasn't a complete wastrel. In the end, it hadn't made a difference, but he could respect her need to do the same. "Okay. I'll help you. But on one condition."

Thea sat back and folded her arms across her chest. "No. I will not agree to be your personal stylist. No matter how badly you may need one." She smiled sweetly as she eyed his gym sweats.

"Be nice, Queen. You're the one asking for my help," he jibed in return. Thea's particular brand of humour had always had the uncanny knack of making him laugh.

"Fine. What's the condition?" she asked.

Tommy winked at her. "I get front row tickets to your first runway show?"

Thea burst out laughing. "I'm afraid not, Merlyn. Should I ever host such an event, I'd prefer to keep the riff raff out." Grabbing her purse and gathering her folders, she gave him a smug smile. "Pick me up tomorrow morning." With a grin she left the diner.

On his way back to Verdant Tommy felt a shift in his mood, he felt lighter and more energised than he had in months. Having felt as though he was floundering for the longest time, it felt good to be able to experience some positive emotions again. Recently, there hadn't been much happening in his life that gave him any real joy. Even date night had been a let down.

The previous evening, he and Laurel had had dinner at one of the trendy restaurants in the city. They'd both spent the majority of the evening on their respective phones – Laurel with her assistant and Tommy with his suppliers. _Not the most romantic way to spend time with my girlfriend_. Perhaps he needed to do something to get them back on track, to remind them why they'd started out together in the first place.

Making a snap decision, he grabbed a take away coffee and some bagels and headed over to CNRI.

* * *

Walking into the offices of Laurel's place of work always assaulted his senses. There was such a flutter of activity, people dashing about, phones ringing off the hook and paperwork covering almost every available surface. He sometimes wondered how they managed to keep track of everything.

Spotting Laurel at her desk, her face shoved close to her monitor, he smiled. "Coffee break," he said, placing his packages on her desk.

"Not there!" she yelled, holding her hands over the file he was about to use as a placeholder. Too late, his hand knocked into hers, sending the coffee cup flying. It landed with a splash on her file, brown liquid soaking into her case work and dripping down the side of her desk.

"Dammit Tommy!" Laurel jumped up, frantically dabbing serviettes on her desk to mop up the spill.

Taken aback by her irritation, Tommy reached for her arm. "Hey, I'm sorry. I just wanted to pop around to see how you're doing."

Without looking up from her cleaning task, Laurel shook his hand aside. "I'm really busy right now. I don't have time to talk. I have twelve cases pending, all of which I can't get to if people keep interrupting me – like the delivery guy who can't find anyone else to sign for packages and the telephone that won't stop ringing long enough for me to think and-"

"Me." Tommy dropped the empty coffee cup in the waste basket beside her desk. _So much for trying to be spontaneous._

Laurel sighed and moved to stand closer to him. Her hands reached for his. "Look, I know I've been distracted lately but there's been a lot going on. Once I whittle down my case load, we can spend some time together. Maybe book a weekend away or something?"

He didn't bother to remind her that she'd turned down his last three offers to get away for a much needed break. "Alright, sure." He kissed her cheek. "I'll see you later."

By the time he'd turned his back to her she was already absorbed in her previous task, leaving him feeling as though she'd instantly forgotten that he was there. He pushed down the swell of disappointment that rose within him as he walked out the door.

* * *

Thea cooed into the adorable face of her nephew. Just shy of a month old, he was a big baby and clearly the centre of everyone's attention. Watching his cute face scrunch up as he yawned, she cuddled him close as he fell asleep.

"You just missed your mom," Felicity said as she sat down beside Thea on the sofa, placing a glass of soda on the table in front of them. They were sitting in the baby's nursery, a beautiful room decorated in soft blues and yellows. The furniture was all white except for the comfortable over-stuffed chairs clustered cosily into one corner. There were baby gadgets everywhere and Thea was certain they were all Felicity's purchases.

"A thing I'm not so secretly relieved about."

"She's not that bad, Thea," Felicity chided, a smile tugging at the corners of her mouth.

Thea gave her a sardonic look. "Says the one who's never lived with her. Trust me. You're way better off in your own home than you would have been if you and Ollie had moved into the mansion as Mom suggested."

"In that particular scenario, I can actually agree with you," Felicity conceded. "How's your property hunting going? Oliver mentioned that you had a few places lined up?"

Thea took a sip of her iced cola. "There are four possible locations I'm considering. Tommy's going to help me decide tomorrow."

Felicity raised an eyebrow. "You sure he's the right person to ask?"

Thea huffed. "Don't look at me like that. I asked him to help me after he made some very succinct points about what I should be looking for."

"No judgement," Felicity said, glancing sideways at her. "I just didn't think he'd have the time to help out. With his work at Verdant and the Merlyn Empire, he's been a little headless for a while."

Thea shrugged. "He seemed pretty eager. I need to make a choice and he seems to know what he's talking about."

"How did he seem when you spoke to him?"

"Seem?"

Felicity pushed her glasses back up the bridge of her nose, her hot pink nails flashing past Thea's line of vision. "Yeah. He hasn't been himself lately." She peered over to look at her sleeping son.

Thea nodded in agreement. "You know, I thought the same thing when I saw him at Mom's birthday party. He looked…unhappy."

"I don't think things are going that well between him and Laurel." Felicity gathered the sleeping baby from Thea's arms and gently laid him inside his crib. "He'll most likely sleep until Oliver gets home," she said with a smile. Turning back to Thea, she sat down again. "Like I said, he seems troubled."

Thea thought about how lonely he'd looked at the party. "I always thought they'd be married by now. I mean, they're dating longer that you and Ollie know each other. Plus, he always had a thing for Laurel."

"Tommy regards himself as the ultimate bachelor. Personally, I think he just hasn't met the right woman yet."

Thea rolled her eyes. "Marriage has scrambled your brains. Tommy loves Laurel. He always has. Maybe their timing's just been off."

Felicity laughed. "I happen to like being married – addled brains or not. But in response to your statement, perhaps that has been a factor. I just don't think it's the only reason."

Thea pondered that statement as she drove home. Was it possible that Tommy and Laurel's relationship had finally run its course? She couldn't quite believe that. She'd always been aware of how much Tommy had cared for the other woman. He had looked unhappy when she'd first seen him a few weeks back. But then again, with all he'd been through, it was likely he was still dealing with some of the latent effects. That, however, didn't mean that his relationship was on the rocks.

_Why am I even contemplating this?_ Tommy was her friend. Her childhood crush had long since become a thing of the past and she had no intention of going back there. Turning up the volume on the radio, she attempted to drown out the sound of her prying thoughts.


	3. Chapter 3: Make Me Feel

**A/N: Hello Readers :)**

**Thank you for the comments and messages I've been receiving. I appreciate it. Regarding the comment one of the readers made pertaining to Tommy not being as miserable - I agree. In the canon story, he's more of a jerk than he is unhappy. However, since I've deliberately set this story after my previous one, I'm taking the events of that story into consideration.**

**Thanks again for all your feedback! :)**

**LadyG**

* * *

The sound of a car's horn sent Thea running out of the mansion and into the sunshine, one arm carrying a leather folio containing all her paperwork, the other one clutching her purse. Tommy had sent her a text saying that he would collect her at 9am sharp. Glancing at her watch, she noticed that he was bang on schedule.

The mettle tipped sound of her stilettos hitting the paving came to an abrupt halt as she surveyed Tommy in the driver's seat of his latest sports car. His dark head was tilted forward, one arm stretched out to adjust some setting on the stereo.

"No, Thea. Send that thought directly to the recycle bin. You will not be driving my car," he said, not looking up from his task.

Walking forward slowly, she admired the sleek lines of the silver brand new Audi. "Ooh, is that a computer related metaphor I hear? Geek much? Clearly Felicity's influence." She threw her purse and folio on the back seat. "Whatever happened to sharing?"

Tommy looked up at her, his grey eyes shielded from view behind a pair of aviators. "If memory serves, your last experience with a sports car didn't go all that well." He was laughing at her. "And no geek jokes, okay? Felicity is awesome."

"For once, we agree." She climbed in beside him, smoothing the ends of her turquoise shift dress under her knees. "But seriously, you're holding an incident that happened four years ago against me?" She lowered her sunglasses and peeked over the top. "And here I thought that you had the attention span of a goldfish."

Grinning at her while shifting into gear, he replied, "There are some things worth remembering. That particular incident being a highlight. FYI, I happen to value my life."

Thea let out an unladylike snort as they sped out of the driveway. "I distinctly remember the accumulation of speeding tickets being a favourite pastime of yours."

"I speed responsibly," he teased. "I don't have a problem with you wrecking a car – as long as it's not mine." They turned onto the highway. "Besides, I'm being responsible. It's the only way Felicity will let me near Robbie."

"Whatever."

Tommy laughed. "Still the same Thea at heart."

She glanced at him, holding a hand against her head to keep her hair from blowing into her eyes. "You thought I wasn't?" She would admit to being curious about what he thought of her.

His gaze swung in her direction briefly before refocussing on the road ahead. "Well, you _have_ changed. But I'm glad that some things have still remained the same."

Thea liked that he could appreciate her snarky streak. "Seeing as we're getting personal, you're not exactly the billionaire playboy poster child anymore."

He shrugged. "There comes a time when a man needs to step up and shoulder the inevitable responsibilities that come with growing up." Thea detected a wistful note in his voice and automatically thought about his father.

Hesitantly she asked, "How's your Dad?"

Out of the corner of her eye she could see his body tense. "Fine, last time I checked."

"When exactly was the last time?"

"A couple of months ago," he answered in a clipped tone. "Why are we talking about this?"

Thea instantly felt guilty. "I'm sorry. I wasn't trying to pry. A lot's happened in the last couple of years and I know it couldn't have been easy for you."

She watched as the tension drained out of his shoulders. "I don't visit him. There are a few times a year, for business purposes, that I'm forced to see him. If it weren't for that, I'd never set foot in that jail."

Thea's heart went out to him. She remembered when Malcolm had been apprehended, how devastated Tommy had been. From what she'd heard once she'd left home, it hadn't been an easy road to acceptance.

She was about to ask him something else when he interrupted. "This is the first address, right?"

Surprised that she'd hardly noticed where they'd been driving, she agreed. Property one of four. Tommy parked at the curb and they alighted, meeting in front of the passenger side, both staring at the front of the modern looking building. There were two small department stores on either side, the sidewalk bustling with shoppers.

"Not a bad location if you're looking to attract people into your store," Tommy remarked as he removed his aviators. He stood at least a head taller than her, his blue jeans and grey henley perfectly suited to the warmer weather. It didn't escape her notice that several women were looking at him with open interest as they walked by.

Inexplicably annoyed, Thea looked around, giving one admirer the evil eye. "I suppose."

He looked at her. "Not exactly a bundle of excitement, are you?"

Thea frowned, deciding to focus solely on why they were there. "When I was here yesterday, the stores were already closed and somehow things seemed different. Looking at it now, something doesn't feel right."

They leaned back against the car. "Tell me about your vision."

Glancing at him in amusement, Thea quipped, "20/20."

"Wise ass."

She laughed. "I'm thinking something large and airy. I want my clothes to look unique and make my customers feel like they aren't stepping off a conveyor belt." She pointed to the department stores. "See that? It's generic. I don't do generic. I want fresh and vibrant, with a touch of vintage class and style. Does any of that make sense to you?"

* * *

"Perfectly," he said as he watched her expressive face. He knew that he shouldn't be surprised by her resolve, but he was. Thea had always known what she wanted and never had any problems articulating those sentiments. It was just different seeing her in this setting, making decisions and choices that seemed so adult. _She sure looks like adult._

The unbidden thought startled him. When had he started looking at Oliver's kid sister in _that _way? _Moving along_. "Based on what you've just said, this isn't the right place. It's too modern, the stores on either side of this vacancy are too standard. I don't think you'll be attracting the type of clientele you seem to be after."

Thea looked at him thoughtfully. "I never thought I'd say this, but you're right. This isn't it. She opened the car door and climbed in."

"You're not going to look inside?" Tommy asked, gesturing towards the front door.

"What's the point? I already know I don't want it. Let's move on."

* * *

Tommy and Thea spent the entire morning together. They went from the first location and moved around until they'd viewed all four. In the end, with his help, Thea decided on the second property. It met all her requirements from a structural point of view, but also gelled perfectly with her vision for the place. As a bonus it had enough space for her to work from as well as an additional piece attached to it that she could save for future expansion.

"Savour this moment, Merlyn, because it may never come again." They were sitting at sushi restaurant in the city grabbing some lunch. "You were amazing today. Thank you." Her lips twitched as she said it, indicative of the fact that it amused her to thank him. However, he knew her to be sincere.

"Be sure not to choke on your gratitude," was his laughing rejoinder.

"I take back all negative statements regarding your business acumen. I stand corrected. You," she pointed a chop stick at him from across the table, "are a lifesaver." She tucked into her California rolls.

He watched as she chewed, clearly enjoying her meal. "You mean I rank higher than your mother?"

She glared at him. "You know the history. I love my mother dearly but her tendency to want to control everything is more than a tad annoying."

He popped a salmon rose into his mouth, savouring the creamy texture. "I thought the two of you were getting along?"

Thea nodded. "We are now," she said before pausing to take a sip of wine. "Don't hold my reckless teen years against me. I blamed my Mom for a lot of things that weren't her fault. When I got rid of that angsty chip on my shoulder, our relationship changed completely."

Tommy recalled Oliver mentioning something about Thea finding out that their father wasn't the man she'd always believed him to be. It struck him in that moment that they had that in common. Both of them had been deceived by the men who'd sired them and both of them had had parts of their lives ruined as a result of it. He'd never thought about it that way before.

"I never thought I'd hear you taking your mother's side." She smiled and his breath caught at the back of his throat. She'd never looked as pretty - the sun streaming in behind her, highlighting the hints of natural blonde in her otherwise brown hair, her face attractively illuminated, her eyes sparkling brightly as she laughed.

"You know enough about me to understand exactly what such an admission means." The waitress came around to refill their glasses. "How's Laurel? You haven't mentioned her." She looked at him curiously.

Tommy was still recovering from his inappropriate thoughts regarding his best friend's sister. "Laurel is great. She's working…err…a lot."

Thea raised an eyebrow. "Why does it sound like there's something you're not telling me?"

Tommy sat back in his chair, not sure he wanted to discuss his failing relationship with her. "I don't recall you telling me what happened to the last badboy you hooked up with."

Thea choked on her wine. "Roy Harper? You remember Roy Harper?"

Tommy offered her a napkin. "You cried on my shoulder over him once. I figured things were pretty serious."

She gave him an incredulous look. "If I wrote down all the names of guys I've cried over, it would mean that I've been in a lot of serious relationships. Which I haven't."

He gave her a probing look.

She sighed. "It didn't last long. The thing about badboys is that they're shrouded in mystery and intrigue. That's initially what's so attractive to women. It makes our feminine instincts to nurture and protect spring to the fore. That whole, 'your-mommy-never-loved-you-so-I-will' thing." Thea shook her head. "Believe me, it gets old pretty fast."

"Ouch."

She waved her hand absently, dismissing his concern. "It happened and before long it was over. I left home and moved on. Never thought about him again until you mentioned him." She eyed him expectantly. "So what's your deal?"

Tommy realised he couldn't prevaricate. "We've hit a bit of a rough patch."

Thea twirled a finger at him. "And?"

"And nothing. I guess we just need to reconnect, or something." He could see the questions in her eyes, but he was relieved when she chose not to ask them.

"Well, fun as this has been, I need to get back home, so if you'll be so kind as to drop me off? Or better yet, you can let me drive myself?" She batted her eyelashes at him innocently and held out her hand for his keys.

Tommy hooted with laughter. "Does that actually work on men?"

Thea pouted sassily. "Mostly."

He leaned across the table. "Not me. You'll have to try harder, Queen." He hadn't meant to make it sound like a challenge, but once it was out of his mouth and he saw the answering spark of acceptance in her eyes, he couldn't regret laying down the gauntlet. Life in Starling City had just got a hell of a lot more interesting.


	4. Chapter 4: Spinning

The next few weeks passed by in a flurry of activity. Thea had her hands full finalising the purchase of the property she'd decided on with Tommy's help, planning and designing the internal space to her exact specifications and getting her clothing designs manufactured before the opening.

Twice she'd bumped into Tommy, both times at Oliver's place when they happened to be visiting at the same time. She didn't know what it was, but something felt different. As though there had been a subtle and almost indiscernible shift in their relationship. Perhaps it had been his parting challenge the last time they'd been alone together that had caused the change, or perhaps it was her own internal admission that she still found him attractive.

The knowledge didn't make her happy. He was involved in a long term relationship that would most likely end in happily ever after. She didn't have the inclination to go down a road that would only lead to misery. Coupled with his not-so-single status was the fact that he was her brother's best friend and still saw her as a kid. Annoying, but something she'd learnt to live with.

The reality was that Tommy Merlyn had more emotional baggage than she was equipped to deal with – not that she wanted to deal with it – her own life had enough drama to last her a lifetime. Best she steer clear of him and keep her emotions firmly in check.

"You're making some good progress here," came the familiar voice of her brother. Thea was sitting in the back office of her store, leafing through her designs.

Seeing him, her face split into a grin as she jumped up to hug him. "What are you doing here? Mom mentioned that you had a board meeting this morning?"

Oliver removed his grey suit jacket and draped it over the back of a chair. "There was an…emergency and I had to cancel."

Thea felt a moment's alarm. "Felicity and Robbie okay?"

Oliver held out a hand reassuringly. "No, no. Nothing like that. Club stuff," he replied vaguely.

Thea didn't bother to question him further, satisfied that there was no danger to her sister-in-law or her nephew. "So what brings you by?" She sat down again, curling her jean clad legs under her.

"Can a brother not drop in to see his favourite sister unannounced?"

Thea eyed him suspiciously. "When the said brother only has one sister, who he seems to be flattering unnecessarily, the sister starts worrying."

Oliver laughed. "Always so cynical."

"I prefer to call it intuition," she joked. "What's up?"

"I did actually want to come and see how you're doing. Mom has been telling me about how well your plans are coming together." He folded his arms across his white shirt as he watched her.

Thea raised an eyebrow. "Mom said that? Really?"

Oliver looked at her imploringly. "Come on. She's trying."

Thea signed. "I know. Sorry. It's just that I know this," she used both hands to point at the space surrounding them, "is not exactly her dream for me."

"I think she's starting to accept that dreams can change."

She smiled. "Thanks, Ollie. I appreciate all the work you've done behind the scenes to try and let Mom see things my way. I would never have been able to convince her that this is what I wanted if you hadn't put in a good word."

"Hey, with or without my help, you would have convinced her. You're determined and stubborn enough."

Thea laughed. "I can't argue with that!"

"Listen, I have a favour to ask." He sat forward slightly in his chair.

"Here we go," Thea teased. "Lay it on me."

Oliver grinned. "I want to take Felicity away overnight. I think she needs a break and a change of scenery will do her some good."

Thea looked concerned. "Is she alright? Is she having trouble coping? I saw her yesterday and she seemed fine."

"She is fine. Just tired. You know her – superwoman – taking care of Robbie, still doing as much as she can for QC when she's supposed to be on maternity leave." Thea admired Felicity's dedication. She didn't do anything by half measures.

"I take it you're here to enlist my babysitting skills?" The idea of taking care of her nephew made her all warm inside. She loved the little guy.

"I am. That is, if you're available. I'd ask Mom but I knew you'd be offended if I didn't come to you first."

Thea clapped her hands excitedly. "You know me well, big brother. And I would be thrilled to look after Robbie. Just tell me when."

He leaned over the desk and planted a kiss on her forehead. "You're the best."

"You'd better believe it! Also, I like to hear it often, so keep it coming," she said sweetly.

Oliver laughed as he grabbed his jacket. "Brat."

* * *

Tommy had just concluded a staff meeting and was comfortably perched at the bar when Oliver approached from the direction of his hideout. "If it isn't my favourite vigilante! You made the news again last night. Well, technically you make the news almost every night."

Oliver grimaced. "This guy we're tracking is proving to be difficult to find. He's important and may be involved in Walter's disappearance. We find him, maybe we find Walter." Oliver looked troubled. "Hopefully alive."

"Oh wow. That is huge." Tommy couldn't imagine that Walter was still alive, but he didn't want to say it and hated even thinking it. "Where will you start looking?"

"Felicity thinks he's holed up in a neighbouring state and we're going to check it out this weekend."

Tommy's mouth fell open. "You're going out of town with your wife and son to catch a criminal? Isn't Robbie a little too young to play mini-me?"

Oliver gave him an exasperated look. "Seriously, Tommy? Of course not. Dig and I were going, but Felicity won't let me out of her sight, so now she's going too. Robbie is staying home where he'll be safe and out of harms way. With Thea."

Tommy felt his stomach do cartwheels at the mention of Oliver's sister's name. Taken aback by the unexpected feeling, he resorted to his fail safe - humour. "You trust her with your kid and not me?" he teased lightly. "I'm offended. I'm also older, you know."

Oliver rolled his eyes. "That's why I'm here. I was hoping you'd pop in and make sure they're okay."

"You'd trust me to take care of your son and your sister?"

Oliver clapped him on the shoulder. "There's no one I'd trust more."

Tommy felt honoured. "I'll do my best, no worries."

Oliver nodded and turned to leave before stopping abruptly. "One last thing. Don't tell Thea that I asked you to keep an eye out. Chances are she'd think that I don't trust her with my son. Which isn't true. I just want to be sure they're safe."

Tommy agreed. "Ollie, have you ever considered telling her the truth?"

Oliver's eyed clouded. "No. The best way to keep her safe is to ensure that she knows nothing. My sister has a way of getting into all kinds of trouble."

"I think you underestimate her. Just like you did me," Tommy said softly.

Oliver stared at him for a moment. "That was different. Besides, the more people know, the greater the risk of exposure."

Tommy opened his mouth but Oliver silenced him by saying firmly, his tone brooking no opposition. "No, Tommy. I won't expose her to potential danger and that's the end of it."

Tommy wanted to say more but decided against it. "Alright. If you think that's best." As his friend walked away Tommy called, "Good luck, Ollie, I hope things work out." He couldn't say more since there were some staff milling around.

His friend smiled faintly in acknowledgement of his well wishes. He knew Oliver was worried about what they'd find. If Walter was alive, the whole story of where he'd been would most likely come to light and the villains would be exposed. Perhaps then they could all move on. However, if he wasn't alive, the Queen's were in for a hellish ride.

His mind turned to Thea. She'd be devastated if Walter was discovered dead and yet despite that, he couldn't help feeling that Oliver was underestimating his sister's ability to understand why he did what he did. He would never betray Oliver's secret to anyone, Thea included, but that didn't mean he agreed with the notion that she shouldn't know the truth.

* * *

"Thea?" Walking toward her car after a run to the mall for some essentials, Thea was startled to see Laurel Lance approaching her.

"Laurel, hi," she said awkwardly. She hadn't exchanged more than pleasantries with the other woman since her mother's party.

Laurel came close and kissed her cheek. "You're looking well. Tommy mentioned something about you starting up a fashion business?"

Surprised that Tommy had been discussing her with his girlfriend, she was momentarily at a loss. "Uh, yeah. I bought a place not far from here. We're in the process of setting it up and getting everything just how I want it." She fiddled with her car keys.

Laurel seemed unaware of her discomfiture. "That's great! I think it's truly wonderful. I often wondered if you'd take an interest in law after your community service stint with me at CNRI."

Thea laughed, genuinely amused. "No, definitely not. Interesting though it was at times, I didn't really feel much of a kinship with the lawless." Thea touched her index finger to her cheek. "Which is ironic, I know, considering that I was a bit of a rebel."

Laurel's answering chuckle seemed to agree. "Funny that you say that. Tommy mentioned something along similar lines when I asked him if you'd ever considered being a lawyer." _Tommy again. Jeez._ Laurel lifted a hand to brush a bang behind her ear. She was a beautiful woman. Dressed in a black pencil skirt and a purple silk shirt, she looked classy and elegant – as always.

"How is Tommy?" She deliberately neglected to mention that she'd seen him a couple of days before.

Laurel smiled vaguely. "Okay. You know, work is keeping him really busy." _Sounds like the two of you rehearsed that line._

"Yeah, I can just imagine." She didn't know what else to say. "Anyway, I need to get back. There's some contractors that I don't want to leave unsupervised for too long."

"Yes, of course. We should do lunch sometime. Catch up."

Thea didn't know if she wanted to be spending quality time with Tommy's significant other. "Yeah, sure. I'll let you know," she said elusively as she stepped backward towards her car.

Laurel waved and headed in another direction and Thea expelled a sigh of relief. Technically, she and Laurel had always gotten along well. They'd even been friendly when she'd worked there. But somehow she didn't feel like it was appropriate to be spending time with Tommy's girlfriend. The last thing she wanted, or needed, was for Laurel to potentially start confiding in her. The less she knew about the intimate details of their personal lives, the better off she was.

Her phone beeped. "MEET ME AT VERDANT. I HAVE A SURPRISE. T"

"Think about a man and he sends you a text." Thea rolled her eyes skyward. Fate was playing games with her mind.

Unable to resist, she responded. "YOU'LL HAVE TO BE MORE SPECIFIC, MERLYN. MY TIME IS MONEY."

She waited a minute before the phone beeped again. "GET OVER IT. I'LL SEE YOU IN 20. T"

Thea smiled despite her misgivings. He knew she loved surprises. "LATER."

Intrigued, she wondered what he had up his sleeve.


	5. Chapter 5: In Slow Motion

"Thanks guys, you can leave it over there."

Tommy thanked the three men that had helped him carry the large box into the club. They'd placed it in a corner of the dance floor, out of the way of anyone walking through the area. Prying the wooden lid off, he opened the inner cardboard flaps and peered inside.

He liked it. He could only hope that Thea liked it too. The idea had struck about a week back when he'd driven past her store and noticed that the most obvious thing was missing. He'd contacted a good friend and gave him the details of exactly what he'd wanted. When he'd seen the initial mock up, he hadn't felt completely satisfied, so he'd tweaked it and sent it back. The finished product had surpassed his expectations. He only hoped that he hadn't overstepped the mark and that Thea wouldn't think that he'd taken too much of a liberty without consulting her first.

He reached for his phone when he felt the distinct vibration signalling an incoming text. It was Laurel. "HAVE TO CANCEL DINNER. MEETING A CLIENT. SORRY."

Frustrated, he jammed his phone back into his pocket without bothering to respond. It's wasn't as though there was anything he could possibly say that would change her mind. Laurel generally tended to do as she pleased, with little regard for his feelings. Not that he felt she was being deliberately mean. Laurel wasn't an unkind person. In fact, she was exactly the opposite. It was just a result of their current situation – the indifference having reached an all time low. The truth was, she'd probably say the same about him. It wasn't like he was rushing home every night, anticipating an evening with the woman he was supposed to be in love with.

He'd tried talking to her about his dad the previous night. Malcolm had requested to see him, not for the first time since he'd been locked away. However, this time his father had been more persistent than ever before. He'd wanted her advice, wanted to know if she thought it was as bad an idea as he did. He'd started to tell her but her phone had interrupted their conversation. Before long, she'd been listening with half an ear as she replied to one email and then another. So he'd just stopped talking. The worst part was that she hasn't even noticed.

Shaking off the feeling of discontent, he glanced at the time, then took one last moment to look inside the box before closing the cardboard flaps. Thea would be there at any moment. He was looking forward to seeing her reaction.

* * *

Thea arrived at Verdant just before her 20 minute deadline. It struck her that she'd never been at the club during the daytime and hadn't visited since her return to Starling City. Walking through the front, she noted that some subtle upgrades had been made – the décor more modern than she remembered; it suited the ambiance.

Looking around, she felt proud of her brother's achievement and equally impressed with Tommy's management skills. The place looked amazing. He clearly knew what he was doing - not that she'd ever doubted that. Both he and Oliver had spent enough time in clubs all over the world to know what worked and what didn't. _Speak of the devil._

Rounding the corner and entering the main dance floor area, Thea spotted Tommy's dark head bent over a long rectangular box. He was dressed casually in jeans and a light-weight beige sweater that emphasised his muscular back quite prominently. Thea found her eyes drawn to the hard planes and angles of his body, admiring its strength and beauty. _So not appropriate._

The sound of her strappy wedges on the tiled floor must have alerted him to her presence because he turned around and treated her to the full effect of his incredible smile. Thea felt her throat go dry. _Dammit._

"I knew you wouldn't be able to resist," he teased as he stood, hands in pockets.

Thea looked at him through narrowed eyes wondering if he was talking about himself or the surprise he apparently had for her. _Stop, Thea!_ "I admit, I'm intrigued. Are you going to tell me what this is about?"

"Such impatience. Whatever happened to exchanging pleasantries first?"

Thea placed a hand on her hip and watched him, one sandaled foot tapping impatiently. "You send me a message demanding," she raised a finger, "and I use the word demanding because it was not a polite request, that I show up. Now I'm here and you want to talk about the weather? Or perhaps the latest on Brangelina?" She was enjoying herself. "Are you Team Angie or Team Jen?" she asked with mock interest.

"Who keeps track of all that trash?" Tommy asked, amused. "Right. You do. Don't think I haven't seen your collection of US Weekly issues," he smirked.

Thea walked up to him and poked him in the chest. "It's called reading, Merlyn. A skill you could benefit from."

"Oh I'm reading, alright. Your body language for example. It's telling me that you're dying to know what's in that box over there." He gave her a secretive smile and gestured towards the object not far from his feet. "You've been eye-balling it since you walked in."

Thea's attempt to look unfazed failed as she cast another glance in the direction he pointed in. "Oh, stop already! What is it?" she asked, excitement evident in her eyes.

Tommy chuckled. "Have a look inside."

Thea moved forward curiously, peering at Tommy as she pushed the flaps of the box aside. Using her hands to move the foam chips out of the way, she gasped as the interior object came into view. Inside was a large white washed wrought iron sign.

_Drama Queen_

The design was romantic and wistful, the lettering large and in cursive, little twirls and loops flowing throughout. Thea felt her eyes prickle with tears as she ran a hand lovingly over the writing. It was the most beautiful thing she'd ever seen, her dream come to life.

She glanced at Tommy, his face anxious and unsure and her heart turned over. Her eyes bright and shiny with unshed tears, she asked, "How did you know?"

* * *

Tommy shrugged self-consciously, moved by her obvious and sincere joy. "I saw the name on your paperwork and figured that I'd give you a welcome home gift. I don't know if you've already got a logo for your store front," he rambled, uncertainly, "or if this is even what you wanted, but when we spoke you mentioned vintage and classic and I have this friend who-"

Thea stood, the skirt of her yellow sundress swirling around her legs as she launched herself into his arms, hugging him tightly. His arms automatically moved to envelope her, his face burrowing into her neck, inhaling the sweet lemony scent of her skin.

"It's perfect, Tommy," she said, her voice filled with emotion. "Thank you so much." She pulled back slightly, her face flushed, her smile a little tremulous. "It's so much better than I'd envisioned. I _love_ it." She leaned forward, meaning to kiss his cheek, but Tommy, taken by surprise, moved his head to the side unintentionally and ended up aligning his mouth with hers.

The soft touch of her lips on his sent his pulse racing. Both jumped apart as though burned. Thea's face was beet red, his most likely a mirror of hers. _What the hell just happened?_ They'd hugged a million times before. They'd shared friendly kisses many times over the course of their friendship. However, he'd never reacted like that. He'd never felt heat course through his body, his heart slamming against his chest, his palms as sweaty as an untutored boy.

For the first time in his life, he watched Thea Queen struggle to form a sentence. If he hadn't been so confused by the current happenings, he would have found it highly amusing.

"Well, uh, thanks Tommy." She looked at the floor and then at the box at her feet. "It's so beautiful."

Taking a step around her he took a deep calming breath. "I'm glad that you like it. The name – it suits you," he said, hoping to lighten the mood.

Thea laughed, the tension thick. "Why deny what I am? My clothing is a reflection of me. The name seemed apt."

"I like it. You're the only person I know who consistently straddles the theatrical line. But that aside, you are literally the most dramatic Queen."

"A position I hold with pride," she joked, mashing her lips together as the silence between them stretched. Suddenly she burst out, "You know, I don't do awkward and this feels a little awkward?" She looked at him and continued talking without waiting for him to answer. "No need to get all bent out of whack. I mean, it was just a kiss. A friendly kiss. Nothing more, nothing less. More of an accident really. So can we just forget that it happened and move on?" There was a hopeful note in her voice.

Tommy wasn't surprised. Thea had always been direct. "I agree. No need to let this affect our…friendship." He used his hands and made as though his fingers were legs, walking in mid-air. "I've moved on."

"Great!" Thea said, overly cheerful. "I have to go. I'm err - meeting my Mom."

Tommy frowned. "I thought Moira was in Gotham for the week?"

"Did I say Mom? I meant Felicity. The new mom, Felicity."

He could tell from the way she was pursing her lips that she was lying. She wanted to get away from him. He didn't know if he felt relieved or disappointed. "Okay. I'll have this sent over to your store." He bent down and closed the box flaps. "Send Felicity my regards."

"I will." Out of the corner of his eye he saw her swing the strap of her purse over her shoulder. "Tommy?"

He looked up. "Yeah?"

"I meant what I said. Thank you." Her voice was soft and heartfelt.

He smiled, glad that she genuinely liked it. "You're welcome."

He watched the subtle sway of her hips as she walked out of the club, his eyes riveted on her legs that seemed to go on forever in those sexy shoes. _Do not go there, Merlyn! _Tommy shook his head. He was either drunk or losing his mind, but those improper thoughts he was having about Thea needed to stop. Immediately.

* * *

Thea scrambled into her car and slammed the door behind her. _What the hell just happened?_ She placed her hands on the wheel of her Evoque and exhaled slowly. Reaching for her hair, she gathered the wavy strands in one hand as she fished for a hair clip with the other. Once it was tied up and out of her neck, she started cooling down.

She hasn't meant to kiss him. All she'd wanted to do was thank him. The hug had been completely spontaneous, an act that three years ago had been a common occurrence. But then he'd turned his head and their lips had touched for the briefest second. Her eyes closed briefly as she remembered. _Holy shit._ It hadn't even been a real kiss, but she'd felt the effects down to her toes.

She thought of the gift he'd had made for her. She'd been so shocked, so taken aback by his insight into her mind that she hadn't thought about what she was doing when she'd thrown herself into his arms. No one had ever done something like that for her. Yes, she'd received gifts from many people throughout her life, but his gift had been personal – it had been made for _her_, with her requirements in mind, not some common store bought item that represented a million other people. He'd chosen it to represent _her_. Only her. And it was just right.

She hadn't lied when she'd said it was perfect. It was. She'd been thinking about how she'd wanted the store front logo to look for weeks, but hadn't quite been able to nail the design. Then she'd seen his interpretation of her idea: so simple, so elegant and so exactly what she wanted that she'd gone all girly on him and almost cried like a baby. Something she did _not_ do. It was like he'd reached into her brain and extracted all her jumbled thoughts, placing them together in the most simplistic way.

No one understood that part of her.

It scared her to think that he might.


	6. Chapter 6: Broken Glass

Thea was wiping baby burp from the front of her red sweater when the doorbell rang. She was at Oliver and Felicity's, honouring her promise to look after Robbie while his parents spent a day and a night out of town.

It had been an emotional farewell for Felicity who was leaving her son for a full 24 hours for the first time since his birth. Oliver had seemed affected too, which Thea was sure was the reason he'd hastened their departure, lest he change his mind completely and decide to stay. The housekeeper, Mary, had offered to stay behind, but Thea had assured her that she'd call if she needed any help. Thus far, everything was under control. Or rather, it had been before Robbie decided to dribble his breakfast all over her.

"I thought you liked your milk, sweetie," Thea cooed as she marched toward the front door, Robbie in her arms. Already easing inside was Tommy, dressed casually in grey cargo shorts and a white polo sweater.

"What are you doing here?" she asked, thrown off guard. She hadn't seen him since he'd dropped her new sign off two days before. And that had literally been a drop and go.

"I was in the neighbourhood and I thought I'd pop in to see how my favourite little person was doing." He closed the door behind him and effortlessly plucked Robbie out of her arms. Her nephew, traitor that he was, gave Tommy a drooling smile, kicking his little arms and legs excitedly. _He charms babies too?_

"Ollie and Felicity aren't here. They'll be back tomorrow evening sometime."

Tommy was smiling at the baby and didn't look up. "Yeah, Oliver mentioned something about Felicity needing a break? He didn't say that they'd be leaving so soon though."

Thea looked at him suspiciously. "So you're not here to check up on me?"

Tommy gave her a sardonic look as he leaned in closer. "Desperate as I'm sure you are for me to stalk you, I'm afraid I'm only here for the kid," he whispered drolly.

Thea met his gaze. "Trust me, if I was in the market for a stalker, I would hope it wasn't someone who subscribed to _joke of the day_ on their Facebook page. Is that where you get your hilarious material from?" she asked innocently.

"You track my Facebook page?" He grinned. "I'm flattered."

Thea huffed. "So beside the point," she muttered under her breath as she followed Tommy into the lounge.

She'd set up most of Robbie's necessities there, not wanting to waltz to the nursery every time she needed an item. She listened as he spoke softly to the baby, kissing his tiny fingers and tickling his chin. The gargling sounds emitting from the baby were a clear indication that he liked the attention.

"I didn't know you were good with kids," Thea said, surprised at the ease with which he handled the child. "Oh wait. You're still a big kid yourself. Robbie is merely identifying with a kindred spirit."

"Just because I don't have any doesn't mean I don't like them." Tommy sent a disarming smile her way. "Besides, no need to get all jealous. I'm sure you're still Robbie's favourite."

Thea rolled her eyes at him. "What? Are you twelve? We are not competing for the affection of a three month old." Thea dabbed at the corner of her nephew's mouth.

Tommy glanced at the trickle of white on the front of her chest. "Nice print you have going on there," he said, amused. "Part of your latest designs?"

Thea swatted him playfully on his arm. "Laugh all you want, Merlyn, but if you keep shaking him like that, you're sure to get a matching one." The look of horror on his face made her burst out laughing. "Give me a second. I need to clean up."

She hastened to the bathroom where she used a damp cloth to remove the stain. When she arrived back into the room, she found Tommy lying on the floor beside Robbie, the baby's padded play mat beneath them, as they stared up at the colourful mobile rotating slowly overhead.

"These flying cars are actually rather cool." He sounded impressed.

"Boys and their toys," Thea said breezily as she bent to collect the stuffed animals on the floor.

Task done, she sat down on the couch close to where they were. Robbie was moving around energetically in his green striped onesie. They looked so cute together, Tommy with his dark hair and features and Robbie all fair and blonde. Thea felt a tug on her heartstrings. _What is it about watching a strong man with a vulnerable child that makes a woman's maternal instinct kick in?_

She knew she was treading on dangerous ground. Forcing down the flood of attraction she felt as Tommy kissed her nephew's chubby cheek, she stood. "Can I get you anything to drink?"

"You're planning on serving me, Queen?" His eyes were laughing. "I guess there's a first time for everything."

Thea gave him a quelling look. "I'm merely ensuring that you don't contaminate the place further. There's already too much Merlyn in here," she retorted.

He ignored her comment, grinning. "Seeing as we're babysitting, I would prefer something of the non-alcoholic variety, please?"

Thea raised an eyebrow. "We? Last time I checked, this was my gig and you were merely popping in."

He shrugged. "Plans change. Besides, Robbie likes me. I can help."

Thea didn't think that was a good idea. "Tommy, thanks for the offer, but you don't have to do that." The last time they'd been alone together, she'd kissed him. He had a girlfriend and she needed to remember that.

"Come on. It'll be fun. Besides, what could possibly go wrong? We're watching the baby, that's all. I have the time and I'm sure you'd like the company?" He looked at her hopefully, those gorgeous blue eyes piercing holes into her defences. She felt her resolve weaken.

"Fine. But you're not staying the night."

"Only if you ask nicely," he teased, easing up from the ground. Robbie had drifted off to sleep. "Is it okay to leave him here?" he asked, unsure of what to do.

Thea walked closer and peered down at the sleeping infant. He looked so much like her brother. "Yeah. He should be fine. Come on." She grabbed the second baby monitor and gestured toward the kitchen.

* * *

Tommy sat at the table on the outside patio overlooking the pool. The house Oliver had purchased for his family was large and roomy, but it didn't feel empty and cold. Instead, it felt lived in, comfortable and cosy. There were framed photographs in the living areas, baby paraphernalia all over the house and small personal objects belonging to Oliver and Felicity everywhere. Signs of life.

He was glad he'd been able to dodge Thea's questions about his motives for being there. He didn't want her knowing that Oliver had asked him to keep an eye on them. He knew her well enough to know that she'd be highly offended. Then she'd start asking all kinds of questions that he was in no position to answer.

"I like this house," he said as Thea put a cup of coffee on the table before him.

She nodded, placing the baby monitor between them as she took a seat to his left. "Me too. It's a loving home, not a mausoleum."

Tommy glanced at her, her face in profile. With her brown hair piled haphazardly onto the top of her head, she looked even younger than she was. Dressed down significantly in simple black leggings, a sweater and ballet flats, Thea Queen could make anything look classy.

"The Queen mansion is hardly a mausoleum."

She cocked her head to the side, considering his words. "Perhaps not. But it never contained the love and warmth that's evident here. The mansion was always too large, placing too much distance between the occupants. It became easy to lose one another in all that vast space."

Tommy knew what she meant. "At least growing up you had Ollie. It was just my Dad and me. You can imagine what our house felt like." He laughed grimly.

Thea glanced at him, her face filled with sympathy. "That's why you spent so much time with us?"

Tommy focussed his attention on the faint ripples on the surface of the turquoise water. "Your home seemed like a better option. At least surrounded by you guys I felt less alone."

Thea set her cup down. "I'm sorry about your Dad."

The words, so simple, warmed him. They were sincere and contained no trace of pity. "So am I." He turned the mug around in his hand. "He…uh…wants to see me. In fact, his lawyer has been harassing me daily for the last few weeks. I just can't get myself to go."

She turned in her chair, her body facing him. "Why not? Maybe he has something important to tell you."

Tommy shook his head. "No. He doesn't have anything to say that I want to hear. Apologies? They're useless. He killed so many people, Thea. He can't ever come back from that." His voice was gruff with emotion.

She set her cup down. "Merlyn, I'm going to be serious for a second, so don't be alarmed." She gave him a crooked smile, before sobering. "You know, when I found out that my father wasn't the man I always thought he was, I was so angry. Angry with him for lying to me, angry at my Mom and Oliver for keeping his secret. But mostly, I was angry with myself for being so easily deceived." She paused for a moment, letting her words sink in. "I know that I can't compare our fathers, especially since mine is dead and cannot answer for his crimes, but I realised that in order for me to move on, to put all that hurt and disillusionment behind me, I had to find a way to make peace with my memory of him." She sat quietly for a moment. "It wasn't easy Tommy. But I could let what I knew about him destroy me or I could use it as fuel to be better. To do better. You have the ability to do the same."

Tommy felt exposed, as though she'd taken one look at him and known exactly what had been haunting him. She was far wiser than anyone gave her credit for, especially her family. "I don't know how, Thea. I don't know how to forgive him. I don't know if I can."

There was a crackling sound from the baby monitor before a faint cry filled the air.

She placed a hand over his, gentle and reassuring. "Maybe forgiveness isn't what you should strive for. You are _not_ your father, Tommy. His actions are not a reflection of you. Those were choices he made that have no bearing on who you are. Once you actually learn to believe that, I think you'll find a way to move past this." She gave his hand a final squeeze before walking into the house to see to the baby.

* * *

"Grab the towel!" Thea instructed as Tommy laughed, helping her remove Robbie from his bath. The baby was slippery as an eel and loved the water. Thea carried him into the nursery.

After the heaviness of their earlier conversation, they'd deliberately kept things light afterward. She was surprised by how much she'd enjoyed his company. They'd spent some time outside on the grass, the warm sun on their faces as they bathed their feet in the pool. Tommy had ordered them some take-out for lunch and they'd taken turns eating while the other fed the baby his bottle. The conversation had been lively and interesting, lots of laughter floating through the house as they continuously teased and joked with one another.

Thea laughed hysterically. "Tommy, have you ever changed a diaper before?" He'd volunteered to perform the task, but from where she was standing, he wasn't having much success. The look of intense concentration on his face was so adorable. Thea felt her knees wobble.

He bit down on his lip, completely focussed. "Something's wrong, isn't it? Why is it so low at the back?" He looked at her, completely flustered.

She tried to stifle another giggle and failed. "That's because you have it on the wrong way."

He glanced at her in amusement. "You are enjoying this way too much. You're supposed to be teaching me, not watching me fail so you can mock me."

Thea moved to stand beside him and scooted his hands away. "Watch and learn," she teased, her green eyes bright with laughter.

She removed the diaper and turned it around, fastening the sticky tape in the correct position. "See? Simple." Dressing the baby in his sleepwear, she was acutely aware of Tommy standing close to her, his arms and thighs right up against hers.

"You make it look simple," he said in admiration.

Thea gave him a look of forced shock. "Was that a compliment?"

Tommy grinned, looking down at her. "It was a once off. Savour the moment."

They laughed as they worked in companionable silence. Thea finished dressing the baby while Tommy packed away all the supplies they'd used.

Robbie had been so well behaved, only getting a little cranky close to his nap time. Knowing that the baby would need his feed soon, Thea handed him to Tommy. "Would you hold him while I get his bottle ready? He should nod off soon."

* * *

Tommy took the wiggling infant from her and held him close. He smelled like baby powder and soap, a sweet combination. He'd had fun with Thea and Robbie, not expecting to enjoy himself as much as he had. She was easy to be around, so alive and vivacious. Most importantly, she didn't expect him to be anyone other than himself. Perhaps that was the reason he felt so drawn to her, why he always found himself near her, why even though he knew he should leave, he didn't really want to. But it was time to go, time to sort out the mess that had become his life.

Minutes later she entered the nursery with a baby bottle and a towel. There were wisps of hair hanging around her face and wet patches all over her shirt, a result of Robbie thrashing about in the water. She looked beautiful. _Go! Now!_

"I have to go," he said abruptly. He saw disappointment flash in her eyes and he almost changed his mind.

"Of course. Um, thank you for today. For all your help."

He stared at her for a moment, grey eyes locked with green. "I had a great time." He kissed Robbie on his forehead. "Hey, Buddy. You be good for your aunt, okay?" The baby beamed as he handed him over.

"I'll see myself out."

Without another word he left a dumbstruck Thea wondering what the hell had just happened.

* * *

Later that night, Tommy lay awake staring at the ceiling, thinking about what Thea had said to him. She'd hit the nail on the head. He'd never told anyone how he truly felt, not even Oliver. He was too afraid to say it out loud as if saying the words would somehow make them a reality.

He was afraid that he'd end up like his father.

What if his genetics were flawed, that he was pre-destined to walk down the same path to destruction? He knew he had a dark side. He'd fought to hold it back when he'd learnt that Oliver had lied to him about his identity as The Hood and he'd battled it a second time when he'd discovered the truth about his father. What if he succumbed to that dark place eventually? What would become of him?

Or was Thea right? Was he defined by his own actions rather than that of his parent? Was he destined to be a better man because he chose to be even though he came from the seed of a murdering psychopath? He felt as though two sides of the same coin were warring inside of him. The one side determined to be a man of principle and conviction and the other side constantly trying to convince him that no matter what he did, he couldn't escape who he was – where he came from.

He needed to face his fears and there was only one way to do that. He had to visit his father.


	7. Chapter 7: Moving Too Fast

Verdant was packed to capacity. Tommy glanced across the dance floor as the throng of bodies moved together in unison, hands raised high, in perfect sync with the loud pulse of the music. The evening's entertainment hadn't come cheap, but he was sure that the capacity crowd more than made up for the splurge.

Satisfied that everything was going well, he walked to the back office to collect his phone. He'd accidently left it behind when he'd been called to manage a minor incident earlier that evening. Oliver and Felicity were due back and though he didn't think Oliver would pop around at the club, he was certain he'd want to check in.

He frowned as he noticed the multiple missed calls from his best friend and a few from Thea too. He could sense that something wasn't right. Oliver wouldn't call him repeatedly just to check if the club was doing alright. About to call back, his eyes fell on the flat screen against the wall. The evening news was flashing a bright red banner across the screen: WALTER STEELE ADMITS TO BEING ABDUCTED BY MALCOLM MERLYN.

His heart slammed against his ribs as he reached for the remote control and turned up the volume. "…Steele was finally returned home to his family after disappearing mysteriously four years ago. The Starling City vigilante seems to have tracked down the whereabouts of the Queen Consolidated CEO and placed him into police protection earlier this evening. Much isn't known about where Mr. Steele was being held against his will, but the one thing that was made abundantly clear was his alleged abductor, former head of the Merlyn Global Group, Malcolm Merlyn. The accused is currently serving a life sentence-"

Tommy shut the TV off and sagged into the closest chair, head in hands. He felt too weak to stand, his mind a jumble of incoherent thoughts, his brain unable to believe that the nightmare of his father's machinations was still an on-going torment. His heart squeezed tightly within his chest, his breath coming in short gasps, beads of sweat breaking out across his forehead. _That's why Ollie and Thea's trying to get hold of me._ They'd most likely wanted to talk to him first before the news frenzy had begun.

He felt trapped, unsure of what to do or where to go. He knew he needed to talk to Oliver, to find out if Walter was alright and to determine what his father had been hoping to gain by tearing the man from his family for four long years.

He raised his head as the door burst open. "Tommy?" Thea rushed to his side. She sank down beside him, her hands reaching for his. "I'm so sorry. I saw it on the news."

He shook his head, dazed and confused. "Why are you here? Shouldn't you be with your family?"

Thea's eyes met his, hers filled with concern. "Walter's at the hospital. The doctor's won't let us near him until they've run all their tests. I wasn't sure if you'd heard and you weren't answering your phone. I was worried."

Tommy stood, pushing her hands away, pacing anxiously in front of her. "How could he do this?" His voice was filled with anguish. "Wait. What am I saying? He's a cold blooded killer, what's abduction compared to that?" He felt slightly hysterical.

"Calm down, please. Listen to-" Thea threw her bag on the floor and walked up to him.

"No! Don't placate me and tell me that it's alright. It's not! It's never going to be alright!" His eyes filled with tears of hurt and frustration. "How many other lives has he destroyed? When will this ever end?"

"I don't know. Maybe it won't ever, but-"

"I can't do this. I can't be here. I need to go. I need to make sure Walter's okay." He looked around frantically, not sure what he wanted.

* * *

Thea's heart broke as she watched him, tortured and distressed by his father's actions. She felt her own eyes grow moist, but took a steadying breath to calm her nerves. He needed her to be strong. She couldn't afford to fall apart if she was attempting to hold him together.

She placed a soft hand on his chest, stopping his pacing. "Tommy!" Her voice was firm, though not unkind. He stopped and looked at her. His eyes were a stormy grey, dark and filled with anguish. All she wanted to do was to make his pain disappear. "I'm not going to tell you that it's okay because we both know that it's not. What your father's done to my family and no doubt to countless others is horrifying and it makes me sick to my stomach. It makes me want to hurt him as badly as he's hurt us." Her voice shook slightly, the only indication that she was churning with emotion. "But I can't do that. He's locked away and he can't hurt anyone anymore. That has to be justice enough for all of us. I don't know what else you'll find out about him – what other horrors he's committed, but you need to stop making it personal! You're a good man, Tommy Merlyn, and I know that because I know_ you_. I've known you my whole life. I know there are parts of you that are imperfect and flawed, but show me someone who isn't. _You_ define _you_. Your choices are what set you apart from your father. Having his blood coursing through your veins isn't an automatic ticket to damnation."

His head slumped forward but she lifted a hand to raise his chin so that her eyes blazed into his once more. "This is not about you. No one holds you responsible for what he's done. Not Walter, not Ollie, not my mother…and not me. You are as much a victim of his scheming as everyone else who's had him take away something they cared about. This is not _your _fault. You have to let it go."

Thea watched as his emotions warred inside of him but kept her gaze steady on his, not once betraying how terrified she was that he'd walk out and do something stupid which could lead to her never seeing him again.

"You don't understand," he said softly. "A part of him is inside of me. I can't get that out." Then so softly she almost didn't hear him, "I'm afraid."

Thea felt a lump lodge in the back of her throat. "The first thing you wanted to do when I walked in here was to check on Walter, to make sure that _he's_ okay. _That's_ what makes you different from Malcolm. So you see, it doesn't matter that there's a part of him inside of you. Who _you_ are, is greater than that."

Finally, after what felt like hours, he closed his eyes, his breathing returning to normal. "Why are you here, Thea?"

She waited a heartbeat. "Because I believe in you, Tommy and I won't go away until you do too."

Without saying another word, she stood on her toes and embraced him as tightly as she could, letting him know that she was there for him, that she cared for him and that she'd be there for as long as he needed her. Slowly, she felt his arms close around her and she breathed a sigh of relief.

He had some way to go, but she knew in that moment that half the battle had been won.

* * *

Some time later, Thea left to go back to the hospital. Tommy had many raw wounds that needed time to heal, but she refused to give up on him, even if that meant hounding him day and night. She did believe in him. Even as the careless bad boy, to her, he'd had a redeeming side She supposed that's why she'd always had a soft spot for him, why she'd always crushed on him so hard – because she'd known, even then, that beneath the playboy façade beat the heart of a surprisingly sensitive man.

Walking into Walter's room, Thea was overcome with joy. He was sitting up, a scruffy beard all over the lower half of his face, but his brown eyes were as warm as ever as they gazed up at her. Her mother was at his side, clutching his hand tightly and Oliver and Felicity were standing on the other side of the bed, holding each other close.

"Thea, you're here."

She walked up to the bed and threw herself across his chest. "I'm so glad you're home, Walter."

"No more than I am," he said, returning her hug.

She leaned back and wiped a tear from her cheek. "Don't you look all Tom Hanks-ey from Castaway?" she teased.

Everyone laughed. Walter ran a hand over his chin. "Is that your polite way of telling me that I'm in desperate need of a shave?"

"Honestly, I don't care. I'm just happy you're back."

They chatted for a while before the doctor came in and asked that they give Walter some time to rest. He insisted that he felt fine, but Moira ushered them out, determined that he take it easy.

Walking into the lobby, Oliver caught up with her. "Hey, where were you?"

She looked at him. "I needed some air so I went for a drive." She didn't know why she was reluctant to tell him she'd been with Tommy. "Is it true? About Malcolm?"

She thought she imagined the shadow that crossed over her brother's face before he schooled his features. "Yes. Walter mentioned him specifically and Detective Lance has already confirmed that Malcolm's confessed."

Thea felt her stomach drop. _Poor Tommy._ "Why would he do that? What did Walter ever do to him?"

"I think Walter was onto some of his nefarious activities and he wanted to shut him up. So he kidnapped him. It's not sure what he was planning to do with him long term."

"I'm just glad he's okay." Oliver nodded. "Uh, have you spoken to Tommy?" she asked casually.

Her brother looked worried. "No, I tried calling him but I couldn't get through. I'll try aga-"

Oliver's words were cut off by Felicity's arrival. Her sister-in-law was wearing a bright blue summer cardigan over a white tank top and blue jeans. Her nails were a matching shade of blue. The sight made Thea smile.

"You talking about Tommy?" she asked.

Oliver agreed. "I was just telling Thea that I've been trying to get hold of him."

"Maybe you should go to him now? I'll catch a ride home with your Mom."

Oliver gave her a quick peck on the lips. "No, I'll drop you back home and then I'll find him."

Satisfied, Felicity turned her attention to Thea. "Thank you again for watching Robbie."

"You've already thanked me, like, ten times Felicity," Thea laughed.

Felicity tucked her arm into Oliver's. "Well, I'm laying it on thick. You never know when we might need you to watch him again."

Oliver looked at his wife, eyebrow raised in question. "This from the woman I had to stop from calling home every thirty minutes?"

Felicity narrowed her eyes at him. "I thought that was our secret?"

Thea and Oliver laughed. "You two go back to domesticated bliss. I have some things I need to take care of. I'll see you later." She waved at them as she left the hospital.

She hoped Oliver talked to Tommy soon. She was sure her brother's solidarity was something that his friend desperately needed.

* * *

Tommy sat in a small room listening to the clang of metal doors as they slammed shut. Every surface was grey and cold; the table and chair basic and unadorned, the grey bars all around him a reminder of where he was and what he'd come there to do.

He shivered involuntarily as he stared through the thick bullet proof glass that separated the visitor's room from the rest of the maximum security prison. His decision to come had been made before he'd heard the news about Walter, but the latest turn of events had made the visit more imminent.

He'd spoken to Laurel a few moments before. She'd also seen the news and had been concerned about him. Not wanting to get into any details, he'd assured her that he was okay and that they'd talk when he got home. There was a lot to say and past time that he said it.

He heard the sound of keys and turned his head. His father was walking through the door, a bright smile on his face, his slick haircut at odds with the faded orange jumper he wore. He watched the man who had contributed to fifty percent of his DNA dispassionately as he took a seat opposite him. The guards secured his hand cuffs to the front of the table so that he couldn't move anywhere.

"Son," Malcolm said proudly. "I knew you'd come."

"Though not for the reasons you imagine, Dad. Why did you have Walter Steele kidnapped?" He cut to the chase, his voice hard and devoid of emotion.

Malcolm stared at him and Tommy felt as though he were being x-rayed. "Because it needed to be done. He was sniffing around in matters that were of no concern to him so I made sure that he was silenced."

Tommy couldn't believe the cool detachment with which his father described ruining someone else's life. "You tore him from his family," he said angrily, his voice rising. "How many more will the police find in time, Dad? How many more people have you hurt without so much as a flash of conscience?"

Malcolm's eyes hardened to blue chips of ice. "I did what needed to be done. You should learn from the examples I've set for you and toughen up. The world is a dangerous place, Tommy. You'd do well to learn that."

Disgusted, he sat forward in his chair. "I want no part of this," he gestured helplessly, "this madness that you keep perpetuating!"

Malcolm jerked his hands angrily, the metal table rattling against the steel of his handcuffs. His voice was filled with fury. "You're weak! You've always been weak! But mark my words - there is more of me inside you than you're willing to admit. I've seen it. I've seen you teetering on that brink. Just you wait and see. There will come a day when you'll fall over the other side of that precipice and when you do, I'll be waiting."

Tommy stared at his father and wondered how he'd become the cold, calculating stranger sitting before him. His words played over and over in his mind, taunting him, so close to his very own fears. He gazed into the icy hardness of the older man's face, contorted with rage, a mask of hatred and self importance.

"_You define you. Your choices are what set you apart from your father. Having his blood coursing through your veins isn't an automatic ticket to damnation."_

Thea's words came back to him, a reminder of what she saw in him, why she believed in him. In that moment he realised that he had a choice. He could choose to spend the rest of his life in fear of the unknown, or he could embrace it and live his life by his own set of rules – and not his father's twisted expectations. _I am not you!_

"I want no part of you. I reject you and all that you stand for. I will not be you. I will not hurt innocent people and shame my family and friends as you have. You want the truth, Dad? I _love_. I love my friends. I love this city and the people who live in it. And you know what? They love me! That's the difference between you and I – I would never break them down in order to take a step up." He stood, his mind and his purpose clear for the first time in a long time. "You won't be seeing me again because you don't have any hold over me anymore. Rot in jail, pray for your sins, I don't care. You don't own me and you will never make me into what you are."

Without a backward glance he walked away. He heard his father fighting against his restraints, screaming after him. "Don't you walk away from me! You come back here! Don't you walk away from me!"

Tommy kept walking, the weight on his shoulders growing lighter with every step. That is what Thea had meant when she'd said that he needed to make peace with his father's memory. He accepted what Malcolm was because he knew it would never change, but he rejected the idea that he'd ever follow down the same path.

That was not who he was.

That was not who he chose to be.


	8. Chapter 8: Caught In a Moment

Tommy sat at the dinner table in Laurel's apartment waiting for her to get home. He'd called her on his way back from the jail and she'd agreed to meet him there as soon as she got off work. Looking around, he noticed that not many of his personal effects where visible in the space they'd shared on and off for almost four years. He'd never officially moved in, staying with her most of the time, but still maintaining his residence at the Merlyn mansion. That was still where the majority of his personal items were – and would remain.

He heard the front door unlock and saw Laurel walking inside. She was carrying the mail, sifting through the envelopes as she walked into the living room before discarding them haphazardly onto the table.

"Hey, you're here. Are you okay?" She removed her navy blazer and hung it over the back of a chair.

Tommy watched the efficacy of her movements as she cast off her shoes and sat down with a sigh. "I'm okay. I wasn't for a while, but things are remarkably clear now. My perspective has changed."

Coming to a stop for the first time since walking in, she looked around and noticed his bags in the corner. "Are you going somewhere?" she asked curiously.

"I'm leaving Laurel," he said. Once he uttered the words, he felt the most overwhelming sense of relief. He'd wanted to say it so many times, but had stopped short on several occasions. He'd been convinced that things would get better if he just held on a while longer, that in time he could be what Laurel needed. It was never going to happen. The truth was, she wasn't what he needed either. Admitting that to himself was liberating.

"Oh, you have a trip somewhere?" she asked, almost hopefully, a hint of alarm registering in her voice.

Tommy positioned his chair opposite hers. "No. I'm _leaving_. You. This. Us. It's over."

Shock flashed across her face. "What do you mean you're leaving me?" Her voice rose in panic. "You can't mean that. We've been together for four years, Tommy. I know things have been a little strained between us, but we can fix that…"

Her voice trailed off as she watched him shaking his head. "It's not going to get any better. We've been fooling ourselves, Laurel. This thing between us," he gestured from him to her, "is not healthy. It's not happy. It hasn't been for years."

She placed her hands on the table, her eyes spitting fire. "People have problems! It's normal! They don't run at the first hurdle! So I get it, we haven't exactly been all over one another, but that will change – once my job settles down and all this drama with your Dad is out of the way-"

Tommy stood up, trying desperately to hold onto his temper. He'd hoped that they could talk like adults and be honest about the dismal state of their relationship. He didn't want to get into an ugly argument where they said things in the worst possible way. Their time together deserved more respect than that.

"Drama with my Dad," he echoed, disbelief evident in his tone. "That's what you call what's been going on for the last couple of years? Me dealing with family drama? It hasn't occurred to you that I've been drowning, Laurel? Trying to discover who I am in the midst of all the chaos he's created." He walked away from her, trying to calm down. "Look, I don't want to fight. I think I should just go."

She jumped up and grabbed his arm. "Don't walk away from me without an explanation, Tommy! I deserve to know what the hell is going on with you! For the last few weeks you've checked out! You've hardly been here and when you are, you're so distracted! Is it someone else? Are you leaving me for another woman?"

Tommy gave her an incredulous look. "You think I'm cheating on you? You think I'm capable of that? I've been completely loyal to you and only you for as long as we've been together! I'm not leaving because there's someone else, I'm leaving because I deserve more that _this_!" His hands slapped against his thighs in emphasis. "_I've _checked out? I'm distracted? Laurel, you're _never _here! At least not when I am. We make plans, you break them. I try to see you, you're always busy. I call, you cancel. This is not about _you_, it's about _me_. I want more than an occasional relationship that's convenient when you say so. I want more than a pencilled in appointment in your diary – that gets erased more often than not!"

She looked at him aghast, her mouth moving but no words coming out. "That's not what's been happening."

He gave her a pained expression. "It's not? Tell me you love me."

She stared at him, shocked. "I-I love you."

He shook his head. "Try again. Tell me you're _in_ love with me."

She reached for him, her hands gripping his forearms. "Tommy, this is ridiculous! What's gotten into you? What we have doesn't require grand gestures of affection. We know how we feel about each other!"

"No we don't!" He extricated his arms from her hands and walked around her. "You don't know how I feel. You don't know because you haven't asked, not in a long time." He laughed humourlessly. "You can't even say it, can you? You can't tell me that you're in love with me because we both know that you're not."

"I do-"

"Don't. Don't say something you know you don't mean," he warned.

Laurel sank down into the couch. "Why are you doing this?"

His voice lowered as he sat down beside her. "I love you, Laurel. I've loved you since I first met you as a kid. But over the last few years, that love's changed. Instead of growing deeper and stronger in time, it's weakened and whittled away to nothing more than tolerance and forced civility."

"That's not true! I mean more to you than that, don't I?" She reached for his hands, her eyes pleading. "We can fix this! I know we can. Tommy, please."

"I don't want cool indifference, Laurel. I want love, real love. The passionate, crazy, maddening kind that people swear moves mountains and brings about miracles. Unrealistic? Perhaps. But I see it when I'm with my best friend and his wife and that tells me that it does exist. I refuse to settle for less." He watched as tears welled in her eyes. "You shouldn't have to either."

She stared at him, her cheeks streaked with tears. She moved closer to him and buried her face in his neck. He hugged her close. "I'm sorry. This isn't the way we started out. I never thought we'd end up here."

"It not your fault, I'm equally to blame. You weren't the only one who let the ball drop." He kissed her hair and took a stab at humour. "At least your father will be relieved that we're no longer together."

She laughed, sniffing and wiping her tears at the same time. "Where will you go?"

"Home," The mansion was his home, despite the ties to his father.

Gently they disentangled and stood, several feet apart.

She gave him a sad smile. "I guess I'll see you around."

He reached out and wiped a tear from her chin. "There'll come a time when we'll be friends again, Laurel. Until then, take care of yourself."

He collected his bags and gave her a wistful smile before closing the door behind him.

Finally free, he felt as though his life had finally lurched back into motion.

* * *

"Morning sweetheart," Moira said as Thea sat down to breakfast. Walter was being released from the hospital later that morning and she was sure that news was the reason for her mother's sunny disposition.

Thea smiled at her parent. "You look happy, Mom."

Moira nodded, her face alight with joy. "I am. We're all finally together again."

Thea was glad that life seemed to be returning to some semblance of normality – not that the Queen's knew how to do normal. Having Walter back felt like the missing puzzle piece had fallen into place. They could all finally move on with their lives.

"Has Walter said anything more about his abduction?"

Moira's smile faltered. "Nothing that he didn't tell the police."

"Tommy seems really affected by what's happened." She remembered how broken he'd seemed the day before. _Has Ollie's spoken to him already?_

Moira looked at her sadly. "He's a good man. Such a pity his father keeps dragging him down."

Thea thought the same thing. "He'll be okay, I'm sure of it."

Moira nodded and changed the subject. "How's things at the store?"

Thea swallowed some orange juice. "Great. It's all coming together nicely. Another week and I should be ready to open."

"I should pop around to see how it's going," Moira said with interest.

Thea gave her mother a cautionary look. "If you're coming around to criticise, take over or delegate then-"

"Thea!" Her mother sounded hurt. "I want to support you, as you've so frequently requested that I do, not interfere. But if you'd rather I stayed away, then I will."

_Crap!_ "Mom, I'm sorry." Thea felt genuinely bad as she looked at her mother's wounded expression. "That was out of line. I'd love for you to come by."

At her mother's speculative look, Thea cringed inwardly. "Somehow I doubt that."

"Really, please. I want you to see what I've done. And I would welcome so advice, if you'd be willing to part with it." She extended the olive branch.

Moira spotted the white flag and smiled. "I'm sorry that I've been giving you such a hard time. Oliver's been telling me about the wonderful work you've done and I want you to know that I support whatever you decide to do. One hundred percent, no questions asked."

Thea raised an eyebrow in amusement. "No questions? That's like expecting Joan Rivers to remain silent during an entire episode of Fashion Police." Thea pursed her lips. "Impossible."

"Oh alright," Moira chuckled. "There may be a few questions, but I promise to leave all the important decisions to you. I won't interfere."

Thea got up and hugged her mother. "I love you, Mom."

Moira held her tightly. "I love you too, Thea."

* * *

"Tommy, where have you been?" Oliver asked as Tommy strolled into Verdant.

He watched his best friend get up from his seat at the bar. The place was still empty. "Getting my life back," he replied cryptically.

At Oliver's questioning glance, he sat down and gestured to his friend to follow suit. "I broke up with Laurel."

"What?!" Oliver turned shocked eyes in his direction.

Tommy almost laughed. "It wasn't working, Ollie. Not for a long time. It was the right thing to do, for both of us."

"Well, if you're sure then I guess that's good news?" Oliver didn't seem to know if he should be optimistic about the recent turn of events.

Tommy patted him on the back. "It's a good thing. You can be happy for me."

Oliver nodded. "She okay?"

"She will be. I think once she thinks about it, she'll agree that it was the right decision."

Oliver changed tack. "Tommy, about Malcolm-"

"I went to see him." He seemed to be surprising his friend a lot.

Oliver turned toward him, his eyes filled with sympathy. "I'm sorry. I tried to call you to let you know what had happened but I kept getting your voicemail."

Tommy nodded. "I know and I don't blame you. It was time for me to face my demons, metaphorically speaking."

Oliver remained still for a moment. "How did it go?"

"Awful," Tommy replied, an ironic smile on his face. "But I needed to face him, Ollie. I needed to look him in the eye before I walked away, certain that I'd laid that ghost to rest."

"And did you?"

Tommy looked his best friend in the eyes. "Yes," he said without hesitation. "It's over. I'm over it," he laughed. "You know, it took me a long time to say that and actually mean it."

Oliver slapped him on the back. "I believe you."

Tommy acknowledged his friend's assurance, appreciating it. "So how did you find Walter?"

* * *

Thea walked into the club. She'd planned to call Tommy to find out how he was doing, but later decided against it. It seemed too personal a matter to discuss over the phone. The truth was, she'd wanted to see him. She'd spent the whole night trying to convince herself that she wasn't back in love with Tommy Merlyn, but in the end she'd lost the battle against herself.

She'd fallen alright – into a big cauldron of drama – the one thing she'd sworn she wanted to stay away from. Problem was, drama seemed to know her name. Unlike the childish infatuation she'd felt for him as a girl, this was something deeper and much more dangerous. He could hurt her this time in ways she hadn't imagined possible as a child. The irony was that he didn't even know that he possessed that kind of power over her.

She accepted that he was taken and she'd never do anything to jeopardise his relationship with Laurel. She understood that he loved her and she wouldn't interfere. However, that didn't mean that she couldn't be a friend to him when he so desperately needed one.

The club was empty and she wasn't surprised since she knew the staff only arrived at mid-day. She heard voices as she drew closer to the dance area. Smiling, she recognised Tommy and Oliver talking.

"_So how did you find Walter?"_

Confused, Thea stepped closer.

"_Felicity had some intel about an associate of your father. Kidnapping was his MO. She dug a little deeper and realised that he was hiding out in a remote location. With satellite surveillance and some other high tech gadgets I won't bore you with, we ascertained that there was one man being held hostage."_

Thea felt her breath hitch in her throat. _What does Ollie have to do with Walter's rescue?_

"_Were you able to get him out quickly?"_

"_Surprisingly. In and out in fifteen."_

"_You know, I should be concerned at how good you are at this vigilante thing. FYI - I don't ever intend to find myself on the wrong end of one of your arrows."_

Thea clapped a hand over her mouth in shock. _Oliver is the vigilante?_ That would mean he'd been the one knocking a significant dent in the Starling City crime rate for the past four years.

Her eyes welled with tears. He'd kept it from her for all that time. Lying repeatedly. Felicity and Diggle too.

_Tommy._

Stepping out of the shadows she confronted her brother and his best friend. "You lied to me," she whispered in a voice filled with tears and accusation.


	9. Chapter 9: Both of Us

Thea watched as the shock registered on her brother's face and then Tommy's. To his credit, Oliver recovered quickly. "Thea," he said softly, his hand stretched out before him as he walked towards her.

"Don't use that tone with me, Ollie. I didn't misunderstand what you just said." She strode purposefully into the room, dashing away the angry tears that had fallen onto her cheeks.

"I can explain," he began.

Thea looked at him incredulously. "Explain? What exactly are you going to explain? The fact that you've been lying to me from the moment you came back from that island? Or the fact that you've been going around shooting people-"

"He doesn't actually shoot anyone-" Tommy interjected.

"Not now, Tommy!" Oliver and Thea said in unison.

Her eyes flashed furiously at her brother's friend as he held up his hands, taking a seat.

"You kill people! _You kill people_!" she repeated, aghast, her attention back on Oliver. "How is this even a thing? What happened to you on that island? Why are you going around dressed like a pea pod with a hoodie? OMG. Is this some kind of PTSD?" She kept firing questions at him.

"There are reasons you're not aware of."

Her mind was a mix of disjointed thoughts. She couldn't seem to focus on one thing. "Was everything a lie?" she asked, hating the fact that her voice cracked midway through the sentence.

Oliver approached her but she backed away. He noticed and stopped, his eyes pleading. "No, of course not. You're my sister and I love you. That's real. It's always been real."

"Do you think me naive? Unworthy of your trust?" Her voice rose as anger simmered beneath the surface. "Everything about your behaviour since you've been back has just become alarmingly clear to me."

"Of course not. Sit down, please. Let's talk about this." He gestured toward the chair beside Tommy.

Thea ignored him. "Does Mom and Walter know?" The thought that he'd told everyone but her nearly caused her to break down.

"Only Felicity, Dig and Tommy. No one else in our family," he said softly.

Thea glanced at the other man in the room. Tommy was looking at her with a pained expression on his face. "Always the boys club," she said, resentfully. "Tell me, was my entry denied by virtue of my sex or my perceived stupidity?"

"You're not stupid, Thea!" came Tommy's voice, filled with a surprising amount of heat.

"You!" She pointed at Tommy. "How could you allow this to happen? You do realise that Ollie could be killed, right? Or thrown into jail, disembowelled or-"

"Calm down, Thea," Oliver said firmly. "This is not Tommy's fault."

She couldn't stop talking. "I bet Felicity only knows because you married her."

She saw the guilty look on her brother's face and her stomach dropped. "You told her before that?" she asked hoarsely.

"She saved my life once and I didn't have a choice."

Thea looked him in the eye. "Were you ever going to tell me?"

Oliver shook his head. "No." When she turned her back on him he continued, "I was trying to protect you, Thea. I didn't want you to get caught in the crossfire if anything ever happened to me."

She scoffed. "I'd buy that excuse if I was twelve! I'm a grown woman. I have been for a few years. But I guess that's part of the problem, isn't it? Everyone still treats me like a child! No one tells me anything! No one believes me capable of deciding for myself what I want and do not want to be a part of! You and Mom, you're both so busy trying to control what I think and do that you never take a second to open your eyes and _see_ me – _actually see me_!"

She was so angry she was shaking. "I deserve more consideration, Ollie!" A tear rolled down her cheek. "I thought you of all people would understand that."

She jerked her bag over her shoulder and ran out of the club.

* * *

Oliver started after her. "Thea!"

Tommy grabbed his arm. "I'll go."

He'd felt wretched as he'd listened to her pouring her heart out to them. Having spent time with her over the past few weeks, he was more convinced than ever that Oliver could trust her. He couldn't remember the last time he'd seen her that miserable and he'd worked hard to fight the strong urge to follow her when she'd run out. However, leaving Oliver behind without so much as an explanation would have given rise to questions he wasn't ready to answer.

Oliver pulled away. "I should be the one to talk to her, to explain."

"No!" Tommy replied forcefully. He'd been where Thea was and he knew that she'd resent it if Oliver tried to win her over with platitudes. She wasn't ready for that. "She needs some time, Ollie. If you go after her now, you'll only make it worse. Trust me, I know."

His friend looked at him, defeated. "That was not supposed to happen."

Tommy felt badly for Oliver, but he'd always thought that Thea was capable of handling the truth. "I hate saying it, but this could have been avoided if you'd just placed some faith in her."

Oliver stalked around the large room, clearly frustrated. "You know Thea. She's flighty and frivolous and not exactly discreet. She's completely freaking out. Telling her was never an option."

"Seriously?" Tommy asked, disbelievingly. "Are we talking about the same person here? The child you're describing is not the woman Thea is now. Sure, she wasn't the best secret keeper a couple of years ago, but she's not the same person anymore, Ollie. How have you failed to notice that? And freaking out? I think that's a normal part of the process, wouldn't you say?"

Oliver looked at him suspiciously and Tommy felt a little self-conscious. "When did you become an authority on my sister?" he asked darkly.

Tommy swallowed, feeling slightly awkward. _Good question_. "Look, my point is that you should stop judging her by old standards. Maybe she's right. Maybe you do fail to see her as an equal."

"She's my kid sister, Tommy!"

"She's your sister, yes, but she's not a kid anymore. You can trust her."

Oliver was back to looking at him questionably before glancing away and pinching the bridge of his nose. "Perhaps you're right."

Tommy let out a breath he didn't know he'd been holding. "I'll talk to her. Just give her some space and she'll seek you out when she'd ready."

When Oliver didn't say anything, Tommy clapped his friend on the back before collecting his keys and rushing after Thea.

* * *

Thea found herself on the doorstep of Queen Consolidated. She'd been driving around aimlessly, not sure what to do or where to go. Instinct had sent her to the one person she'd always felt completely comfortable with.

She walked past a myriad of cubicles and offices, faces passing her in a blur as she marched purposefully toward her destination. As Head of IT, Felicity had finally moved up from the bowels of the building and into a plush office on the 1st floor – not too far from the dungeons she so loved.

Thea stood at the entrance and watched her sister-in-law staring into her computer screen. She had a pencil stuck between her lips, her forehead furrowed in concentration. Not much about her had changed when she'd become a Queen. Dressed in a bright red pencil skirt and a white short sleeved blouse with ruffles down the front, she looked like the Felicity of old, completely comfortable in her own skin. That was part of the reason Thea had always liked her so much.

She stepped over the threshold.

Startled, Felicity looked up and smiled, then frowned when she saw Thea's red rimmed eyes. "Are you alright?" she asked, ushering her into a seat before closing the door.

"I know," she said without preamble. "I know Ollie is The Hood."

She watched as Felicity's eyes widened in surprise. "Thea, I-I…have you spoken to your brother about this?" Thea knew Felicity well enough to know that she was hedging.

"He knows I know. I confronted him."

Felicity's mouth made a surprised "O."

Thea leaned forward in her chair. "Why didn't he tell me? Why didn't anyone tell me?"

"Oliver wanted to protect you-"

Thea jumped up. "No more of this protecting crap! He kills people, Felicity! How are you okay with that?!"

Felicity walked around her desk and gently pushed Thea back into her chair. "Firstly, keep your voice down. Secondly, stop talking." At Thea's slack jawed expression Felicity pulled a face. "Okay, I know that coming from me that sounds absurd, but you need to breathe."

Thea sat back again, her emotions running ragged. Just when she'd thought she had her family figured out, life sent her a huge reality check. _My brother is a murderer._ The words seemed to reverberate inside her head. She kept trying to think back on past news reports and headlines that The Hood had dominated.

"You're thinking too much," came Felicity's concerned voice.

Thea shook her head. "How long have you known?"

Felicity sat down beside her. "Not long after I met Oliver he landed in a bit of trouble. He came to me for help and that's when our professional relationship slowly progressed to a personal one."

Thea couldn't stop fidgeting. "Why is he doing this? Aren't you afraid for his life? And he kills people, Felicity, like dead. I've seen the news, heard the stories," her voice was shaking.

Felicity put a calming hand on her arm. "There is a lot that you don't know. Oliver's reasons are altruistic-"

Thea couldn't believe what she was hearing. "Altruistic? Felicity, do you hear what you're saying? Since when has shooting sharp objects into another human being been considered philanthropic?" she interjected hysterically.

There was a knock at the door. Felicity glanced up in annoyance as a tall, thin man stuck his head inside. "We're ready for you, Mrs Queen."

Felicity rolled her eyes. "I've told you, Jack. My name is Felicity."

"Alright, Mrs Queen."

Thea watched as her sister-in-law's gaze swung from her to the tall guy. "Jack, would you mind running the meeting? I have something important that I need to do."

Sensing that Felicity was about to blow off her responsibilities because of her, Thea stood. "No. It's okay. I-I should go."

Felicity reached for her as she brushed past. "Thea, wait."

"Give Robbie a kiss from me," she said as she walked out, leaving a worried looking Felicity behind.

* * *

Tommy found Thea at _Drama Queen_ after spending most of the morning searching high and low. He'd eventually contacted Felicity and asked her to track the GPS signal on Thea's phone to speed up the process. He didn't think he'd be telling her that though.

Walking into her design studio cum office space, he found her face buried in her laptop. "Hey," he said softly into the empty space.

Thea hopped in her chair and automatically shut the lid of her computer. "You shouldn't sneak up on people," she snapped. "That's the work of criminals."

Tommy decided to let the comment slide. "Talk to me, Thea."

"What's there to say? My brother is the most wanted criminal in Starling City and everyone in his life seemed to know about it except me. I think that about sums it up?" she said tartly.

He watched as went to stand at the large window behind her desk. He could see part of the bustling street down below.

"There's more to it than that and you know it."

She swung around, her eyes flashing. "No, I don't know that. I don't know anything."

"Maybe that's because you won't allow anyone the opportunity to explain?" he countered, moving to her side.

"Is that why you're here? My brother's wing man sent to plead his case?"

Tommy was taken aback by her anger. "No. I was worried about you and I thought I'd see if you're okay. But it would seem that perhaps Oliver had a point when he accused you of being a brat." He turned and stalked toward the door.

"I'm sorry," she said faintly. "Tommy, I didn't mean that." She turned toward the window and buried her face in her hands.

He recognised her confusion and anger. He'd been there a few years back when he'd learnt about Oliver's other life. Once behind her he placed his hands gently on her shoulders and turned her towards him. She automatically circled her arms around his waist and buried her face in his chest. Great sobs racked her body as he held her tightly, his hands cradling her head against him. He wasn't sure how long they stood like that, but eventually her gut-wrenching tears subsided.

Still, he held her close, unwilling to let her go just yet. "You know, Oliver isn't what you think he is. Yes, there's a lot that you don't know, but trust me when I tell you that he's the same brother you've always known and loved."

He felt her hands dig into the back of his shirt, but he kept talking in a low, soothing voice. "I was you a few years back. I found about him when he saved my dad's life after he was shot. I was so angry at him and I lashed out, pushing him away. It took a very stern-talking Felicity to make me see that I owed him the opportunity to explain himself. So I understand how you feel, Thea, and I realise that right now you're wondering why he didn't trust you or how you could have not known. It sounds cliché, but he was trying to protect you, not hurt you."

He felt the tension drain out of her body as she melted against him, her soft curves fitting to his form perfectly. It felt good to hold her, to provide her with the comfort she'd recently given him. "So I urge you, before you jump to all kinds of far fetched conclusions, talk to him. Allow him the opportunity to tell you his side. After that, you can decide for yourself how you feel about it."

She slowly pulled away from him and his hands smoothed her hair away from her face. His breath caught in his throat, his hands gentling even more as he carefully wiped the tears from her rosy cheeks. She looked so vulnerable and deep inside of him he felt his protective instincts kick in. Even with mascara running down her cheeks, her face red and blotchy, Thea was more beautiful than any woman he'd ever seen.

"I have been a brat, haven't I?" she said, her eyes greener than a forest floor.

He gave her a crooked smile. "Ollie didn't actually say that. That was me trying to wiggle my way through your armour."

She laughed, raising her hands to lay them on his chest. Her touch burnt his skin through the fabric of his shirt. "You did a good job."

They stared at one another, neither of them saying a word while his stomach did somersaults. She lifted a hand and trailed her index finger down the cleft in his chin.

"I've always wondered what this felt like," she whispered.

He swallowed convulsively. "My facial abnormality?"

"It's not an abnormality," she replied vehemently. "It adds character."

They were silent for a moment.

"Would you have ever told me, Tommy?" she asked. He'd known that she'd eventually want to know.

He shook his head. "It wasn't my secret to tell, Thea. Oliver risks his life almost every day to keep the people in this city safe. He's my best friend and I owe him my loyalty."

"I understand," she said and he realised that she did.

His phone vibrated between them and they reluctantly drew apart. "Laurel?" Thea asked as she reached for a tissue on her desk.

It was Oliver. "No…err…Laurel and I broke up."

* * *

Thea couldn't keep the shock off her face. "I-I'm sorry."

He shrugged. "It was inevitable."

"I'm sure it will be all over E-Online within the next few days. A billionaire bachelor is breaking news, after all."

She couldn't believe that he was no longer tied to Laurel Lance. It had been years since Tommy had been single. No doubt there were many ladies already lining up to fill the vacancy. The thought was depressing.

He leaned closer to her, his grey eyes piercing her soul. "Perhaps I should give them an interview and tell them what I know they want to hear."

She held her breath. "That you've already got women lined up around the block?"

He gave her a slow, sexy smile. "That I've decided I like being a one-woman kinda guy." The look in his eyes made her mouth go dry, her heart beating like crazy. "This time round though, I'm playing for keeps."


	10. Chapter 10: Planets All Align

_This time round though, I'm playing for keeps_. The words were imprinted on her brain. _What does that even mean?_

It was two days later and Thea was spending way too much time over-analysing Tommy's cryptic statement. She still had trouble believing that he and Laurel were actually over. Despite trying to keep a lid on her complicated feelings, she couldn't help nurturing the tiny spark of hope that in time, perhaps he would grow to see her in a different light. _Yeah right._ She equated the likelihood of that happening to the hope of experiencing rain in a desert – useless and disappointing.

Apart from the confusion of her love life, she hadn't seen or spoken to her brother since she'd stormed out of the club. Having had some time to wrap her mind around that day's revelations and doing some extensive googling, she'd come to the realisation that The Hood had done more good in Starling City than any of the official law enforcement agencies. That still didn't mean that she understood his motivation, but reading about his heroics and the bad guys he'd gone up against, she could _maybe_ understand why he'd chosen not to tell her.

Thea was sitting outside on the bench overlooking her father's grave. It was one of her favourite places to be alone, to spend some time with her own thoughts. It was an early summer's morning, Walter and her mother probably still abed.

She missed her father. He hadn't been the man she'd grown up idolising, but that didn't change her feelings. When he and Oliver had disappeared, their lives had taken a nosedive. Her relationship with her mother had disintegrated to the point where they lived in the same house, but they never talked. When Moira had married Walter, things had started changing. Even so, Thea could admit that she'd walked around for many years with a major chip on her shoulder. She'd blamed her mother for all manner of sins, none of which she'd actually been guilty of. Despite taking her father's place, she'd never felt anything but love for Walter. He was a good man and she was glad that he was finally back with them.

"That's quite an intense look this early in the day," came Walter's cultured English accent.

Thea raised a hand to shield her eyes from the sun and smiled at him. "You know me, always plotting and planning," she quipped.

"Mind if I join you?" he asked.

Thea scooted up. "Come on, old man. Sit those ancient bones down," she teased.

Walter chuckled and sank down beside her. Thea linked her arm through his and lay her head on his shoulder.

"I've missed this," he said.

"What? Having a brilliant, vibrant young woman hanging onto your every word?"

Walter laughed. "That too, of course," he said with mock seriousness. "But I meant being home, with you and your mother. There were times when I thought I'd never see you again."

Thea lifted her head to look at him. "Malcolm is paying for what he did to you, Walter. For what he did to all of us."

"I know," he said with a faint smile. "I hear his son hasn't escaped unscathed either. How is Tommy Merlyn?"

Thea's heart skipped a beat at the mere mention of his name. "Dealing. It's been hard for him getting out from under his father's rather sinister shadow."

"Is he a good guy? I remember him being playful, arrogant and generally immature," Walter said frankly. "But from what your mother says, that's no longer the case."

Thea laughed. "Walter, that describes me a few years ago."

He acknowledged her comment with nod. "You were quite the handful, weren't you?" he teased.

"Just keeping you on your toes," she said brightly.

"You've been up to a lot in my absence. I'm proud of you. I always knew you were destined for great things." He put an arm around her.

Thea basked in his praise. "Well, now that you're back, I'll bring you up to speed."

"I hate that we can never reclaim the time we've lost. I missed Oliver and Felicity's wedding!" He frowned. "Actually I missed their entire courtship. I can honestly say that I did not see that one coming."

She grinned. Walter sounded so bewildered. "They're perfect together. Ollie's different since he met Felicity."

Walter glanced down at her. "I've noticed. Don't get me wrong, I think it's wonderful. I've always liked Felicity and held her in the highest regard. I have a grandson!" The last was said with an astonished laugh.

"He's a cutie, isn't he?" Thea said with pride.

Walter agreed. "Are you seeing anyone?" he asked out of the blue.

She thought of Tommy. "No, I'm not seeing anyone."

He raised an eyebrow. "Why am I not convinced?"

Thea rolled her eyes. Walter had always been intuitive. "There may be someone. But it's nothing."

"It doesn't sound like nothing."

"It's complicated," she countered.

Walter looked at her sternly. "Is he married?"

Thea gasped. "No!"

"Is he a criminal?"

"Walter, of course not!"

He grinned. "Is he underage?"

Thea snorted. "I'm not into Biebers."

Walter looked at her questioningly.

She shook her head. "Nevermind.

"If he's not married, in jail or underage, then it's not complicated."

"What would you call it?"

He thought for a moment. "Challenging."

"Ahhh… Well, it's definitely that," she said, more to herself than to him.

Walter turned to face her. "I may have been gone for close to four years, but I'm not blind. You've blossomed into a beautiful, successful, smart, funny young woman. Any man would be lucky to have you."

She gave him a half smile. "What if he's already had someone who possessed all that?" she asked softly.

"Thea, he hasn't had _you_." He touched the tip of her nose to emphasise his point. "No man settles for the princess when he can have the Queen." He winked at her.

Thea hugged him. "I love you, Walter."

He chuckled. "I know."

* * *

Tommy parked his Audi in his reserved bay outside Verdant. He hadn't seen Thea for two days and honestly, he hated it. She had a way of brightening his day and making him laugh. Since he didn't have a genuine reason to seek her out, he'd resorted to means which truly were beneath him. Like hanging around the mall close to _Drama Queen_, or driving up and down the main road, hoping to catch a glimpse of her. He wasn't proud of himself and he knew that Thea deserved better. He just felt completely out of his depth.

Lost in his own thoughts, he almost missed the red Evoque that pulled up beside him, blocking the entrance to the club from sight. Recognising Thea's car, his heartbeat kicked into overdrive.

She jumped out and flashed a feisty smile his way. "You're loitering in parking lots, these days? That's kinda creepy. Kinda stalkerish. I didn't know that was your style."

He got out of his car, his eyes glued to her. She was wearing a short, white sheath dress and fierce looking heels, a bag slung across her body. Sandwiched between their vehicles, she was gorgeous.

"Merely waiting for the view to improve," he said, his gaze raking over her figure. "It certainly has."

He watched as a blush spread across her cheeks, feeling particularly chuffed that he was able to illicit such a response.

Her eyes narrowed suspiciously. "Are you flirting with me?"

He walked toward to her, admiring how she stood her ground. Within touching distance, he removed his aviators, their eyes locking.

"And if I was?" he asked softly, a smile playing around the edges of his mouth.

Thea planted her hands on her hips, her eyes roving over him as his had over her a few seconds before.

"Looking good, Merlyn. Not _Drama Queen_ originals, but I guess you'll do."

He grinned. "Are you saying that you like the way I look?" He stepped closer.

She raised a perfectly arched eyebrow. "You're invading my personal space."

"Is that a problem for you?"

"Not if you're comfortable with me invading right back." She took a step forward, their bodies inches apart.

He knew he was playing a dangerous game, but Thea Queen made him feel like throwing caution to the wind. He reached out and swept one of her bangs behind her ear.

"I can handle myself," he said, his voice deeper than usual.

She lifted a hand, her fingers playing with one of the buttons on the front of his denim shirt. Glancing up at him, she smiled.

* * *

The second Tommy had stepped out of his car looking sexy as sin, Thea forgot all about being sensible and circumspect. She'd never been one to back down when challenged, and whatever his motivation, he was probably expecting her to run the other way. _Oh boy, are you in for a shocker._

Feeling bold, she ran her hands up the front of his chest, linking her arms behind his neck. She saw the surprise register in his eyes a second before they darkened to a deep slate. Standing on her toes she did the one thing she knew she shouldn't.

She kissed him.

The feel of his lips against hers sent her body temperature sky rocketing. She'd dreamt about that moment a million times, but none of her imaginings had ever compared to the reality. It was so much better. His lips were cool and firm, the minty scent of his breath mingling with hers as he kissed her back. She felt his hands on her hips, branding her, as he effortlessly pulled her against him and held her captive. His body felt hard and angular against her softer one, her skin tingling everywhere they touched.

Her hands tangled in the lush thickness of his silky hair just as his tongue invaded the warmth of her mouth. Her body bowed into his, awash with riotous sensation, unable to get close enough. The low sound of his moan was an indication that he felt the same. _I guess it does rain in the desert after all._

She couldn't breathe. She didn't want to. Her body was throbbing with awareness, her mind incapable of articulate thought. All she knew was that she didn't want it to end.

Somewhere, not far away, a truck backfired. Slowly surfacing, she lifted her lips from his, their eyes meeting. The look of satisfaction in the depths of his beautiful greys almost caused her knees to buckle. She didn't know how he felt about her, but she knew for certain that he felt _something_. Tommy was not indifferent to her and that knowledge gave her hope.

Breathless, she whispered, "The real question is, can _you_ handle _me, _Merlyn?"

* * *

Tommy watched as she strolled away from him, throwing a saucy smile over her shoulder as she did so. God, that kiss had been magnificent. _She _was magnificent. His lips still tingled from the after effects of their unexpected encounter, his arms feeling empty without her.

He didn't know if he would have kissed her if she hadn't made the first move. He'd intended to get closer to her, to tease her a little. Only Thea, with her bold, spirited, go-getter attitude would be brave enough to challenge and then best him at his own game.

Hell, he loved her audacity!

Smiling after her, he realised that he was in seriously deep water. The interesting thing was, he had absolutely no intention of swimming to safety.


	11. Chapter 11: When You Looked Into My Eyes

Thea's hands were shaking so badly she stopped just inside the club door to regain her composure. She couldn't believe she'd done that! _Then again, Tommy Merlyn sure knows how to knock a girl's socks off._ That kiss had been…incredible. She lifted an unsteady hand to her lips, convinced she could still taste the minty freshness of his breath on them.

Her body still trembling, she moved forward knowing that Tommy would be following her inside shortly. She didn't want him to see her hanging onto the door because her legs refused to cooperate with her brain. That would be revealing too much about how she felt.

Walking past the bar, she was about to head into the back office when she spotted Oliver walking toward her. She saw the look of surprise flash across his face before he gave her a tentative smile.

"Hey."

Thea realised how much she'd missed him. "Hey, big brother."

Oliver cupped her chin in his hand, turning her head toward the light, his eyes filled with concern. "Are you okay?"

Embarrassed, Thea pulled back. "Of course, why?"

He appeared convinced. "You look a little…flushed."

Thea waved a hand in front of her face. "It's so hot outside. And…err…the air-conditioning in my car isn't working." She grabbed an envelope off the bar counter and started fanning herself with it, her hair lifting off her shoulders. "I need to have that checked out."

Oliver's shoulders relaxed. "You should. Let me know if you need some help."

She shook her head. "No, no. That's okay."

A shadow of regret passed over his face. "I hope you're here for me?" he asked hopefully.

"Ollie, could we talk?"

"I'd like nothing better." He grabbed her hand. "Come with me."

Thea allowed him to tug her along as they walked through the back of the club, coming to a halt outside an access controlled door. Punching in a code, the door opened and Oliver pulled her inside. Descending a staircase into a dimly lit room, Thea realised where they were. The Hood's hideout.

Impressed, she looked around. "So this is where all your nefarious strategizing takes place."

"Felicity calls it the Arrow Cave," he said, watching her closely as he unbuttoned his suit jacket.

Thea did a full turn. "Not exactly romantic but I get it - dim lighting, makeshift bed, it could be a love shack." Her eyes widened at the sight of the chains hanging from the ceiling. "Almost. A little kinky, but you know, different strokes and all that."

Oliver laughed. "Seriously? Get out of the gutter."

She gave him a cheeky grin. "Just saying…" her voice trailed off.

"I'm sorry," Oliver said, coming to stand beside her. "I realise that finding out about me and this," he gestured to the corner where Thea could see rows of green arrows lined up, "must have come as a shock. I wished many times that I could've told you, but doing so would have meant putting your life at risk. That was not a chance I was willing to take. Ever."

Thea read the sincerity in his face. "I know. I'm sorry too. I shouldn't have run out on you like that. I just-" She turned and deposited her bag on a table housing a complex network of computer screens. "I felt as though I was seventeen again and everyone was lying to me because they thought they had the right to decide what was best for me._ I_ decide, Ollie. Me. No one else."

He leaned back against the table and crossed his arms over his chest. "I don't think you're a child anymore, Thea. I think I have an amazingly talented sister and I couldn't be prouder of all her accomplishments. However, I did what I thought was best. Chances are I'd do it again."

"Thank you. Hearing you say that means a lot to me." She gave him a playful punch in the shoulder. "But you really are controlling, you know."

He gave her an apologetic smile. "I'm working on it."

Thea leaned against the table beside him. "So, what made you start operation green peace?"

Oliver rolled his eyes and pulled out a chair. "Sit down. This is a long story."

* * *

He told her everything.

He told her how their father had killed himself in the hope that Oliver would survive. He told her about his time on the island and how he'd learnt to defend himself with the help of friends. He told her about the list and how he'd been systematically erasing the names of the people who'd contributed to the breakdown of Starling City and the increased crime and destruction in the Glades. He told her about how, over time, he'd realised that cleaning up the city wasn't only about scratching names off that list, it had become something more, something bigger. Lastly, he told her about how much he'd managed to accomplish with the help of Diggle and Felicity.

Fourty minutes later, Thea had a newfound respect and admiration for her brother and the responsibilities he'd chosen to assume. It couldn't be easy for him, risking his life for the greater good of the city when he had a family waiting at home. Thea was humbled by his sacrifice and she felt a fool for ever doubting his motives and intentions. Her brother was the best of men. She'd never doubt him again.

"I guess this makes you a hero."

Oliver looked at her in amusement. "You mean I'm no longer a green pea pod with a hoodie?"

Thea grinned. "Oh no, you still are. Lucky for you though, green is definitely your colour."

Oliver hugged her. "I'm glad you know the truth, Speedy."

"So am I, Ollie. Thank you for keeping me safe," she said emotionally.

"Always."

* * *

Tommy was chatting to the barman when Oliver escorted Thea back upstairs. He could tell by their body language that they'd mended fences and he was glad. Thea deserved the truth and it was way past time Oliver treated her like the adult she was.

She glanced at him when they reached the counter, her cheeks flaming. Tommy felt an overwhelming need to grin like a fool and just about managed to stop shy of humiliating himself.

"Tommy!" Oliver said.

"Hey, Ollie," he greeted his friend. "Thea," he said, sending what he hoped was a platonic smile her way.

She gave him a half wave. "Hi."

"You…errr…visiting?" Tommy asked, not quite sure how to behave.

She pointed at Oliver. "Just raising the white flag."

"Ah," Tommy replied. _This is awkward._ He took a sip of his drink, his throat suddenly parched.

"Is that lipstick on your cheek?" Oliver asked, peering closer to get a better look.

Tommy choked, his beverage burning its way down his throat. "Groupies. You know I'm so ruggedly handsome and all. They can't help themselves." He wiped desperately at his cheek with the back of his hand.

Thea snorted. "They absolutely can help themselves!" she snapped. When Oliver gave her a curious look, she giggled nervously. "Tommy's so funny, isn't he?" she said a touch too brightly.

Oliver was looking from one to the other. "Am I missing something?" he asked suspiciously.

"What do you mean?" Thea asked, alarmed.

Oliver pointed from Tommy to her. "This is weird. Why are you two being weird?"

Thea deflected. "Weird is a word Felicity uses, not you. Clearly she's rubbing off."

Tommy guffawed loudly. "We aren't being weird."

Thea glared at him.

He sobered immediately. "I mean, everything's fine."

"What's going on?" Oliver asked, eyebrow raised.

Thea's mouth moved but nothing came out. She started fidgeting with the strap of her bag instead.

Tommy stared at him, unsure of how exactly he was supposed to tell his best friend that he'd ravished his sister in the parking lot an hour earlier. _Or rather, she ravished me._

Tommy breathed a sigh of relief when Oliver's phone rang. Without taking his eyes off either of them, he answered. It must have been Felicity because he gestured for them to stay put before turning his back and taking a few steps away. Tommy could hear the low murmur of his voice as she talked to his wife.

He glanced at Thea. She was staring back at him, the look in her eyes making him want to close the distance between them and resume what they'd started earlier.

"Ever heard of the word discreet, Merlyn?" she whispered, glancing in Oliver's direction.

He leaned across the counter. "Because you've been the soul of discretion, of course." He lowered his voice further. "It would help if you kept your eyes to yourself. They're…saying things."

Thea looked at him drolly. "You're accusing me of eye-humping?"

"What?!" he asked, shocked. "What the hell is that?" _I have a pretty good idea._ His brain melted.

Thea smirked. "I told you to read more."

He was trying really hard not to laugh but he didn't want to draw Oliver's attention to them. He wasn't quite ready to tell his friend about…he wasn't sure what he wasn't ready to tell him.

"Bottom line. Be normal," he said, watching as Oliver glanced their way.

"I was being normal," she countered. "Then you had to go and choke."

His voice rose slightly. "I'm sorry if my momentary airway obstruction happened at an inconvenient time for you."

"Shhhh!" Thea said as her hand covered his lips. Realising what she was doing, she snatched them away quickly, their eyes locking.

Tommy swallowed, his stomach doing crazy flips. He didn't think it was a good idea for her to touch him in the presence of her brother. Everything had changed between them when she'd kissed him. He had feelings for her that he was having a hard time denying. Every time he was around her, he felt things that he hadn't experienced in a long time. Or perhaps never at all. He couldn't avoid the obvious anymore.

He was hot for Thea Queen and he needed to decide what he was going to do about it because at the rate his heart was pounding, doing nothing was not an option.

"Thea," he started, only to be interrupted by Oliver.

"I have to go, Dig has an emergency."

Thea looked at her brother, concern furrowing her brow. "Is he okay?"

Oliver nodded. "Yeah. Just a favour that I owe him."

He eyed both of them before kissing Thea on the cheek. "This conversation is not over."

* * *

Thea watched her brother as he headed in the direction of his lair. She wasn't exactly sure what to tell him. It wasn't like she and Tommy were _together_. The nature of their relationship was undefined. Also, she wasn't stupid enough to forget about the fact that he'd just gotten out of a long term relationship. Chances were that he wasn't ready for what she wanted from him.

"I should probably go."

"Are we going to talk about what happened earlier?" he asked softly.

"I don't regret kissing you," Thea said honestly, not wanting to lie to him. "But it probably wasn't the best idea I've ever had."

Tommy frowned at her. "Why not?"

She dropped her bag on the counter. "Isn't it obvious? I won't be your rebound, Tommy."

He moved around the bar and offered her a seat. He then sat down beside her. "Is that what you think this is? Me transferring whatever residual feelings I have for Laurel onto you?"

"Aren't you?" she asked bluntly.

"No," he said simply. "Laurel and I were over a long time before I decided to break it off. Which I did for myself. It had nothing to do with anyone else, including you."

Thea was glad to hear it. She didn't like the idea of him having any second thoughts about his break-up. If it had been entirely his decision, chances were it would be a lasting one.

"Then what would you call what's happening between us?" Thea had never been one to skirt around important issues.

Tommy took her hand in his, running his thumb over her palm. Her pulse leapt. "The unexpected? I didn't anticipate any of this happening, Thea. All I know is that I enjoy being near you and spending time with you. You've helped me face a few things that I've been avoiding, and might still have been avoiding had you not shook the very foundations of my comfort zone." He gazed at her tenderly. "I care about you."

_Not exactly a declaration of love, but it's a start_. "I care about you too."

He gave her an uncertain smile. "I don't know where this is going or what it means, but I'd like to figure it out."

Thea's cocked her head to the side and smiled. "Why Tommy Merlyn, are you asking me out?" she asked in her best Southern accent.

He grinned, tipping an imaginary hat in her direction. "Yes, m'am."

She hopped off the chair and shimmied between his legs. "I thought you'd never ask."

Then, for the second time that day, she followed her instincts and kissed him. Only this time, he met her halfway.


	12. Chapter 12: Just Like That

Thea was lying in bed. She had a 9.30am meeting with the events manager who was taking care of the _Drama Queen_ launch scheduled for the following week, but she had some time to kill before she needed to get ready. She snuggled deeper into the covers feeling completely relaxed.

She was happy.

If someone had told her that four months after her return to Starling City, she'd be head over heels for her brother's best friend, she would have called them crazy. Yet there she was, completely and utterly in love with the one man she'd thought she'd moved on from a long time ago. She'd never even entertained the idea that Tommy might some day be hers.

Thea knew he had feelings for her, but what exactly those feelings were, she wasn't sure. While she was a fan of honesty in any relationship, she didn't think it was the right time to tell him how she felt. Naturally she wanted him to love her back, but forcing him to feel something he might not be ready for, would only result in driving him away. The last thing she wanted was for their newfound relationship to fall apart because she had unrealistic expectations.

Then there was Oliver. She had to tell him about her and Tommy at some point, she just didn't know when or how. It wasn't that she was afraid of telling him, she genuinely wasn't. Her only concern was how he'd take the news. He was over-protective, annoyingly so, and she was certain that he'd probably disapprove of a romantic affiliation between his sister and his best friend. Oliver knew Tommy's track record. Not good.

However, she wanted to be with Tommy and if things between them went the way she was hoping it would, he brother needed to know about it and learn to accept it. She didn't want to lie to him. There'd been way too many secrets in her family. Who she was dating didn't need to be one of them.

Her phone beeped.

Frowning, she reached for it. It was barely 6am.

_Tommy._ "RISE AND SHINE." Thea smiled automatically.

Typing back quickly she replied. "YOU SHOULDN'T BE AWAKE, MERLYN. YOU NEED MORE TIME TO MAKE THE TERM _BEAUTY SLEEP_ MEAN SOMETHING." _Yeah right. He's gorgeous._

A few seconds later her phone beeped again. "AND I THOUGHT YOU WERE A MORNING PERSON." He put a smiley face at the end of his text.

"HOW WOULD YOU KNOW? YOU'VE NEVER BEEN AROUND ME FIRST THING IN THE MORNING."

"ARE YOU PROPOSITIONING ME?"

Thea grinned. "TRUST ME, YOU'LL KNOW WHEN I'M PROPOSITIONING YOU."

"THEN I'LL BE ON HIGH ALERT. BTW – YOU LOOKED LOVELY YESTERDAY."

Thea hugged the compliment close to her heart. "YOU USED THE WORD LOVELY. YOU'VE EXTENDED YOUR VOCABULARY BEYOND HOT AND MEGA HOT. I'M IMPRESSED."

"YOU CAN JUST SAY THANK YOU, YOU KNOW." Thea smiled. Funny how he always saw beyond her snarky.

"OR I COULD BUY YOU LUNCH."

"OH JOY! YOU'RE GOING TO PROPOSITION ME IN PERSON?"

She laughed out loud. "DON'T YOU HAVE ENOUGH GROUPIES DOING THAT?"

"JEALOUS MUCH?" She got the distinct impression that he was enjoying himself.

_Yes._ "DREAM ON. I DON'T DO JEALOUS. I GET EVEN." The thought of another woman snatching him up didn't sit well with her.

"THIS CONVERSATION BEGS TO BE EXPLORED FACE TO FACE. WHERE ARE YOU TAKING ME FOR LUNCH?"

"MEET ME AT BIG BELLY?"

"YOU'RE SO LUCKY I'M A CHEAP DATE."

"I WAS MERELY THINKING ABOUT THE BEST PLACE TO AVOID _MERLYN MANIA._ THAT IS WHAT PEOPLE MAG IS CALLING IT?" Ever since the news of Tommy's single status had hit the tabloids, women were throwing themselves at him.

"YOU'RE SOUNDING JEALOUS AGAIN."

She snorted. "SEE YOU AROUND NOON?"

"WITH BELLS ON."

Thea tossed her iPhone onto the bed. She didn't like feeling the twinges of jealousy that surfaced when she read about all the Starling City socialites who were trying to sink their claws into Tommy. Annoyed at herself, she hit her pillow in an attempt to get comfortable.

Her phone beeped again.

"P.S – I DON'T CARE ABOUT _MERLYN MANIA. _YOU'RE THE ONLY ONE I WANT."

Her heart tripped before thundering back to life. With an extra bounce in her step she jumped out of bed and headed to the shower. Her day just kept getting better and better.

* * *

Tommy flopped onto his back. He'd never been one for texting, but he'd actually enjoyed himself. Reading Thea's replies had made him laugh, something he was getting used to since they'd started spending time together.

He knew she wasn't timid and shy, two things he loved most about her. She said what she meant, no beating around the bush. It was a complete a breath of fresh air.

_Love._ He hadn't thought to label his feelings for her. A part of him was almost afraid to. A woman like Thea deserved more than a meaningless fling, she had commitment written all over her. Not that he placed her in the meaningless category. Not at all. If anything, he was already in danger of having fallen too far under her spell.

He just didn't want to rush into things. His feelings were intense and strong, and the desire to just go with it was overwhelming, but he needed to be sure. The last thing he wanted was to hurt Thea. She deserve better than that. He'd just come out of a three year relationship and while she was definitely not a rebound, he was determined to take things slowly. He wanted to do it the right way.

That meant telling Oliver that he was interested in his sister. He didn't know how his best friend would react to that news. Chances were that he wouldn't be too happy about it. Oliver knew him better than anyone; they'd discussed every one of their conquests over the years. He didn't want Oliver to believe that he would ever treat Thea badly. He wasn't a selfish, pleasure seeking playboy anymore. He cared about her and he needed Oliver to understand that he toying with her was not on his agenda. Ever.

Glancing at the clock, he threw the covers off. There was a lot to do before his date at noon.

* * *

Thea waved her event's planner off as Felicity stopped at the curb. Smiling in anticipation, Thea ran out and reached the vehicle just as Felicity was removing Robbie from the car seat.

"Come to aunty Thea," she said excitedly as the baby turned his head toward the sound of her voice. He looked adorable in a white onesie that had _My Daddy is a_ _Hero_ printed on the front.

She raised an eyebrow at Felicity in amusement. "Seriously?"

Felicity shook her head. "Your mother bought it for him. It's Gucci apparently."

Thea laughed as she took the baby into her arms, rocking him gently. "Which does nothing to make that statement any less ironic."

Felicity grabbed the diaper bag and the seat before following Thea inside. "Oliver thinks it's hilarious."

Thea felt her heart squeeze as her nephew grasped her finger tightly in his. _Uh uh. This is not the time to become broody._

"Wow! This place looks amazing!"

Thea beamed with pride. "Thanks. It's been a lot of hard work, but I'm loving how it's all coming together."

The boutique was nearing completion. The interior was flooded with natural light from the big windows in the front, large mirrors and framed vintage photos of fashion icons hanging from the pale, cream coloured walls. Expensive, yet comfortable looking antique furniture to be used by shoppers wanting to take a load off was placed strategically atop gleaming wooden floors. Built into certain areas of wall space were nooks with rails and shelves, currently still empty as they waited for the clothing to adorn them.

"Oliver told me that things were looking good, so I decided to come and see for myself." Felicity kept looking around in amazement. "I'm impressed."

Thea laughed. "You seem shocked."

Felicity grinned. "I am. Not that you've achieved this, I always knew you'd be capable of it, but because I would never have been able to pull it off."

Thea patted her sister-in-law's bare arm. "You have other skills, Felicity. I think the scales are balanced."

They sat down on a plush red velvet old-fashioned couch. Thea laid Robbie down between the two of them, laughing as he smiled at her, blowing bubbles happily.

"I can't believe how quickly he's growing."

Felicity gave her son a tender smile. "Tell me about it. Feels like just yesterday when he was born."

"Why are you back at work already?"

Felicity huffed. "It's only once a week for half the day. I'll be back full-time next month. Oliver says I have issues handing over complete control."

"Another thing you and my brother have in common," Thea said teasingly.

"I'm nowhere near as bad as he is," Felicity defended.

"There I can agree." Thea blew a kiss at the smiling baby.

Felicity smoothed a lock of Robbie's blonde hair away from his forehead. "Tommy did a great job."

"What?" At the mention of his name, her heart jumped into her throat.

Felicity gave her a surprised look, searching her face. "I meant with helping you choose a venue." Thea squirmed in her seat. "What did you think I was talking about?" she asked curiously.

"Nothing," Thea said far too quickly.

Felicity quirked an eyebrow. "Like I said, he did a good job."

Thea nodded. "Yeah."

"That's all you have to say?"

Thea shrugged in what she hoped was a nonchalant way. "What else would I need to say?"

Felicity gave her a probing look. "In all the time I've known you, you've never been a woman of few words. You're like me. The words run away from us. Why are you suddenly hedging?"

Thea laughed nervously. "I'm not hedging. Why would I be hedging?"

Felicity stared pointedly. "That proves it. You just used the same word twice in one sentence. Spill."

"You're so nosy. Did anyone ever tell you that?"

"Constantly," Felicity said proudly. "Is there something wrong with Tommy?"

"No!" Thea answered vehemently. Realising she was digging herself into a deeper hole, she attempted to explain. "He did a great job, yes. I'm really grateful."

Felicity kept staring at her questioningly. Thea knew she wasn't buying any of it.

Her shoulders slumped. "Tommy and I kissed," she blurted.

Felicity's eyes widened like saucers behind her spectacles. "What?!"

Robbie got a fright at the sound of his mother's raised voice and started fussing. Felicity picked him up immediately, cradling him against her shoulder as she stared at Thea.

"Explain!" she whispered.

"You know what a kiss is, Felicity. Lip locking, smooch smooch." She laughed self-consciously.

Felicity rolled her eyes. "When did this happen?" she asked in disbelief.

"Yesterday."

At Felicity's incredulous look, Thea sighed. "We've been running into one another quite frequently in the last couple of weeks. One thing led to another and yesterday we kissed," she explained. "Well, technically I kissed him."

Felicity gasped. "Thea!"

She sat back in the chair, her eyes pleading for understanding. "Look, I know you probably disapprove and I'm sure Ollie will too, but we like each other and while we don't quite know what this thing is between us, we're trying to figure it out."

Felicity extended the hand that wasn't holding the baby and touched Thea's arm gently. "I'm not judging you. I'm just…shocked. I didn't know you liked him."

Thea shrugged. "I didn't know either. I mean, I had a crush on him as a kid, but I was over that. This sort of just happened."

"He feels the same?" Felicity asked tentatively.

Thea smiled, not knowing that her eyes lit up when she did. "He does. I mean, I think he does." She sat up straighter. "Felicity, he makes me feel things. When we're together, it's like everything makes sense. We talk and we laugh and…" He voice trailed off as she brushed her bangs out of her eyes. "He gets me," she said simply.

"He's so much older than you-" Felicity began.

Thea frowned. "There's an eleven year age gap, sure. But it's never been an issue. We don't live in the dark ages, Felicity." Thea raised a finger. "Wait. If this was the dark ages, I would have been sold to Tommy at eleven. Therefore, by modern standards we've done quite well to wait this long."

Felicity's lips twitched but she remained silent for a moment. "What was the kiss like?" she asked curiously.

Thea grinned wickedly, her eyes sparkling. "Incredible!"

Felicity shook her head in wonder. "You do realise that your brother may have a stroke when he finds out?"

"What about you?" Thea asked, wanting desperately to know what Felicity thought.

Her sister-in-law smiled. "I think you look happy and in love. So much so that you're positively glowing. I trust your instincts, Thea, and if Tommy Merlyn is the man who makes you feel that way, then I think you deserve to find out what that means."

Thea hopped over and gave Felicity a hug, mindful of her sleeping nephew. "Thank you! I knew you'd understand."

Felicity returned the embrace. "He's a great guy. He better keep working hard at deserving you."

"About Ollie…"

"I promise, I won't say a word. You tell him when you're ready. Just don't wait too long. He has this knack for finding things out." Felicity lay the sleeping baby in his car seat.

"Thanks." Thea hadn't realised how much she'd needed a female friend until she'd met Felicity. When Oliver had brought her to the Queen Gala almost four years before, Thea had known she'd made a bestie for life.

She'd talk to Tommy when she saw him at lunch. Perhaps they should consider coming clean. She just wished she knew how Oliver would react.


	13. Chapter 13: We Cannot Deny

Tommy sat inside a booth at Big Belly, sipping on coffee while he waited for Thea to arrive. He felt a sense of anticipation at the thought of seeing her. It was crazy. He'd been with her the day before and talked to her earlier that morning, but somehow it still didn't feel like enough. He missed her when she wasn't around and when they were together it felt like time ran out far too quickly.

He heard the jingle of the front door and looked up, his brain slowing everything down. Thea walked in, her hair a mass of soft curls that fell down her back and around her shoulders. Her blue jeans were tight and hugged the curves of her hips so closely he felt his mouth go dry. Her shirt, crisp and white was tucked into the waist of her pants and secured with a metallic silver belt. Her petite feet were encased in a black pair of the highest heels he'd ever seen. He was sure they couldn't be very comfortable, but he didn't really care since they looked sexy as hell.

He stood up as she approached, giving her a rakish smile. "The men are staring."

She tossed her bag, keys and sunglasses onto the table. "By men I assume you mean you?" she replied with sass.

He stepped up close, slipping his hands around her waist. It felt like the most natural thing in the world. "Not only me. Every man in this place between the ages of one and 100 can't turn away."

Her hands moved up and rested on his shoulders. "So what exactly are you doing?" she asked, amused.

"Staking my claim, of course. Can't have these guys thinking you're available." He stared into her eyes, losing himself in their mossy depths.

"Ahh…because that toddler over there is just dying to make me his?"

Tommy didn't bother to look at who she was pointing to. "I reckon that's a fair assumption. I think I need to show him that he's fishing in the wrong pond," he teased, his eyes roving over her glossed lips.

Thea arched an eyebrow. "Dare I ask how you plan to do that?"

"Like this." He heard her gasp right before his lips swooped down and captured hers in a blistering kiss. His hands moved up and cupped her cheeks, deepening the caress, her hands curling into his shoulders as she held on tightly.

Far too soon, he lifted his lips from hers. She stared up at him, her mouth slightly ajar, her eyes glazed. _Thea. Stunned. Who would have known?_ He felt exceptionally pleased with himself.

"Hey," he said.

She blinked. "Hey," she replied softly.

"Get a room!" came a voice from behind him, followed by laughter.

Grinning, Tommy watched as Thea's cheeks flamed with embarrassment. She smiled in the direction of the comment before sitting down opposite him.

"Smooth, Merlyn. Very smooth," she said, pushing her hair away from her flushed face.

He smiled at her. "I wasn't a playboy in my former life for nothing."

She burst out laughing. "Tricks of the trade?"

"I've retired in that capacity, but I know some stuff about stuff."

"Well played," she complimented him as the waitress brought their menus. "Since I slapped a few on you, I guess I deserved that."

He looked at her, his voice lowering. "That wasn't about payback. I kissed you because I _needed _to. Period." Their eyes met and held. He broke contact first, taking a sip of his coffee.

Thea grinned. "Keep talking that way and I may just proposition you after all."

He choked on his hot beverage, coughing uncontrollably. He glared at her. "You need to stop doing that to me."

Her eyes were alight with mischief, her voice all innocence. "But it's so much fun."

He shook his head. "You're incorrigible."

"Would you prefer me any other way?" she asked brightly.

"Absolutely not," came his definitive response.

He meant it. There was nothing about her that he'd change, not one hair on her beautiful head. He couldn't believe that a few short weeks before, he'd been a man stuck in a dead end relationship and dealing with some heavy paternal issues. These days, he had none of those things weighing him down. All because of Thea.

He realised that he hadn't thought about Laurel once since the breakup. The knowledge surprised him. He'd always thought that should they break up, he'd probably pine for a while, maybe even ask her if they could try again. But honestly, he felt none of those feelings. He truly wished Laurel well, but he was more convinced than ever that they weren't meant for each other.

He watched as Thea surveyed the menu, chewing on her bottom lip while she made her choice. She slapped the laminated card down on the table. "I know what I want."

His lips curled up at the sides. _So do I_. He called the waitress.

* * *

Thea was having the best time. The conversation between them flowed easily as they devoured their burgers and fries. Tommy wanted to know all about what was happening at _Drama Queen_ and what her plans were for the launch. He gave her some valuable advice around possible issues she hadn't considered, reminding her that he was an experienced and skilled businessman.

In turn, she asked him about his work at Verdant and how he was managing things at Merlyn Global. She didn't ask just for the sake of it either, she was genuinely interested in his work and the aspects of it that he enjoyed and found challenging. She watched him as he talked enthusiastically about the various projects he was working on and how he planned to change the legacy his father had left behind. It was clearly very important to him and Thea understood why. He wanted to make it clear that he didn't support his father's underhanded dealings and the only way to do that was to take a firm stand and state his intentions plainly. Already, the results had been astounding.

Tommy was great with people and they seemed to respond to him. He was also a lot smarter than many gave him credit for. She could tell that earning the respect of his colleagues and subordinates had been a rewarding process. He was thriving and she couldn't be happier for him. He'd worked long and hard, he still did, and he deserved to reap the rewards.

"I have something to tell you." She took a sip of her cola.

Tommy sat back in his seat looking relaxed and satisfied. "Shoot."

Thea felt anxious. "Felicity knows about us."

She saw the surprise on his face. "You told her?"

She put her drink down and pushed it away. "Only after she more or less deduced that something was up."

"Is she telling Ollie?"

Try and she might, she didn't detect any panic. "She told me she wouldn't, but it might slip out, I don't know."

"Are you against him knowing?" he asked thoughtfully.

"No," Thea replied. Deciding to just be straight with him, she continued, "I know we haven't figured out what _this,_" she waved her hand between them, "is. But I don't really want to have to lie to anyone. Granted, if you're not comfortable with him knowing, I completely understand and I won't pressure yo-"

"Let's do it."

"…to do something that you- What?"

Tommy chuckled. "There's nothing wrong with your hearing, Thea."

She was stunned. She hadn't thought he'd want anyone to know just yet and despite him taking the news about Felicity knowing really well, she hadn't banked on the fact that he'd want Oliver to know too. At least not so soon.

"Why are you agreeing to this so easily?" she asked suspiciously.

He leaned forward and reached across the table to link their fingers together. At his touch her skin tingled.

"Because," his grey eyes were tender as they stared straight into hers, "I want to be with you and I agree that it shouldn't have to be a secret. We're both consenting adults and while I would really appreciate your family's support, I don't need their permission to see you."

A thousand butterflies took flight in Thea's tummy. Her instincts had been right. He did care about her and this wasn't just a passing fancy. She was certain because she knew how much Tommy loved her brother and he'd never jeopardise that relationship for the sake of a meaningless fling.

Nonetheless, she felt a little nervous. "You do realise he occasionally aims sharp and pointy objects at people who piss him off?"

He acknowledged her remark with a nod of his head. "He gives new meaning to brothers all over the world who threaten to kill their sister's boyfriends." He grinned. "If I ever hurt you, he'd actually do it."

Thea frowned at him. "So what are you smiling about?"

He turned her hand over and kissed her palm. "I'm not worried about Ollie. I know I'd never do anything to hurt you intentionally, Thea, so that threat means nothing to me."

She melted. _How do you always say the perfect thing?_ "Well, hopefully it won't come to that."

Tommy stood, looking incredibly handsome in dark slacks and an open collar blue shirt. "You know what? Let's do it now. Carpe diem!"

"I'm sure when the owner of that quote first stated it he wasn't advising a woman to tell her vigilante brother that she had the hots for his BFF," she muttered under her breath as she dropped some dollar bills on the table.

Escorting her out of the diner, Tommy whispered in her ear, "I'm sure he would have had he known that the BFF had the hots for her too."

Thea grinned as she walked to her car parked at the curb, Tommy right behind her. "Meet you at the club?" she asked, standing beside the driver's door of the Evoque.

"I'll be right behind you," he said in a deep voice as he leaned in to press a soft kiss against her parted lips.

Not satisfied with a peck, Thea wound her arms around Tommy's neck and leaned into him, not caring that they were standing between their cars, in full view of anyone passing by. Responding immediately, he pulled her against him and proceeded to thoroughly demonstrate his mastery in the art of making out.

Thea was so lost in the moment that she was completely disoriented when Tommy was jerked out of her arms. Confused, she looked up, her eyes widening as she stared into the furious face of her brother.

Tommy, equally thrown, recovered quickly. "Ollie-" he said, holding up his hand in a placating gesture.

Oliver ignored him, his eyes blazing murderously at his friend. "What the hell do you think you're doing?!"

Thea regained her wits and moved forward, grabbing her brother's arm. "Hello! I'm here too!"

He glared at her briefly before fixing his gaze back on Tommy. "I trusted you! When I asked you to look out for Thea, I didn't mean pawing her in the middle of the road!" His voice was dangerously low.

Thea's gaze swung around to Tommy. "Look out for me?" she asked sharply.

He looked at her earnestly. "Trust me, I can explain," he said. "It's not what you think."

She did trust him. Besides, now wasn't the time for them to argue. Oliver was the bigger problem. She looked at her brother. He seemed about ready to punch Tommy to the ground.

"Ollie, this is not the time or the place to be having this conversation," she said reasonably.

He didn't bother to look at her. "I'm going to kill you," he said to Tommy, his eyes hard and cold.

Tommy rolled his eyes. "Seriously? Did you have to live up to that stereotype?" He looked at Oliver, anger written all over his body language. "I'm your best friend, Ollie. You _know _me. I'm insulted and offended that you'd think I'd take advantage of Thea. That's not how this is!"

"How exactly is it?!" Oliver roared. "Last week you were with Laurel, this week you're with Thea? That has player written all over it!"

Tommy glared at Oliver and Thea got the distinct impression they'd forgotten she was there. Already people were glancing at them curiously as they walked by.

"Look, I know it seems that way, but you have to believe me, I am not using your sister!"

"I'm going to kill you!" Oliver reiterated menacingly.

Tommy threw his hands up in frustration. "Will you _listen_ to me?!"

Thea rushed to stand between them. "This is not pistols at dawn! We don't live in the 1800's. My honour does not need defending!" she shouted at her brother.

He moved her aside and strode toward Tommy, his voice threatening. "Stay away from her! I'm warning you, Tommy. You come anywhere close to her and I will-"

"What?" Tommy's voice lowered. "Shoot an arrow into me? Well, go ahead!" he challenged. "I'm not staying away from her unless _she_ asks me to!"

"_She_ happens to be standing right here!" she waved at them, not that either one noticed.

Oliver's jaw hardened. "Stay away from him," he said to Thea, not breaking eye contact with his friend.

"No!" she exclaimed. "Ollie, this caveman behaviour is really unbecoming. Let's go home and talk about this like the adults that we are."

His tone confident, Tommy vowed, "You're going to have to get used to the idea because I'm not going anywhere."

Irritated, her brother snapped, "Why the hell not?"

Tommy stepped up close to him, their chests almost touching. "Because I love her."


	14. Chapter 14: We Lived, We Loved

**Dear Readers, **

**I am nearing the conclusion of Tommy and Thea's story. In fact, there is only one more chapter to go before I publish the Epilogue. I do like stories that provide some form of closure, so when a friend asked me if I would add one, I already knew that I would. :) **

**Thank you to all of you who have read and reviewed "Chemicals React" thus far. I'm so glad that you've enjoyed it.**

**LadyG**

* * *

Tommy cringed inwardly. He couldn't believe he'd just said that. Not because he didn't mean it, he most definitely did, but his timing could not have been any worse. _Nice going, Merlyn. Declare your love on a street corner. Smooth._

Oliver looked gobsmacked. Thea on the other hand, appeared to be trying to pick her jaw up off the floor. That was not how he'd envisioned telling her how he felt about her. In fact, had Oliver not challenged him directly, he may not even have realised it as swiftly as he had. Funny how in that moment his feelings had just become crystal clear.

He loved her. He loved everything about her - from her beauty and smarts right down to her quick wit and devilish sense of humour. She'd made him want to take charge of his life and forge his own path instead of always being the ignorant follower. He was _better_ with her. Letting go was not an option.

The time for backing down was over. He wanted her and he refused to give her up because his friend had issues seeing his sister as an adult. With Oliver now looking at him as though he'd sprouted a second head, he knew he had some convincing to do.

"Love?!" Oliver spat the word out. "Do you expect me to believe that you love Thea when you were in love with someone else not too long ago?!"

Thea was still staring at him, her eyes wide.

"Come on!" Tommy exclaimed. "You're deliberately reading this situation in the way that best paints me as the bad guy. You _know _that Laurel and I were over long ago. The fact that we only recently broke up is irrelevant."

Oliver opened his mouth to argue, but Tommy pressed forward.

"Don't bother telling me that you weren't aware of the status of our relationship because you and I have had _that_ conversation too many times to count," he reminded Oliver. "You know better than anyone else exactly how I felt."

Oliver shook his head, fuming. "This is not happening. I'm telling you, this is _not_ going to happen." His face was a mask of rage.

At that point Thea stepped forward and looked at Tommy. "You know, Merlyn, your timing truly sucks. You choose this rather awkward moment to say you love me? Seriously? Not to mention the fact that buzz kill over here," she jerked a thumb toward Oliver, "completely ruined it." She rolled her eyes, but he could tell that she was amused.

"Thea," Oliver said in warning.

She turned to face him. "You," she poked a finger in this chest, her eyes filled with indignation, "are not dictating who I can and cannot love."

Tommy's brain exploded. "You love me back?" he interjected, stunned. _She loves me?!_ For a second he forgot that her brother was standing right beside him.

She flashed him an impish smile. "Madly."

His body flooded with joy. He couldn't believe that she felt the same way. He'd known she cared, but he hadn't dared to hope. The need to crush her against him was overwhelming. He was about to reach for her when Oliver interrupted.

"Sorry to break up this lover's reunion," Oliver snapped bitingly, "but save the declarations." He aimed his icy blue eyes at Tommy. "I don't buy it."

Before he could respond, Thea glowered at her brother. "Will you stop this bullying and intimidation tactics?! Just when I thought you were working on being less controlling! You don't have a say in this, Ollie."

Her brother looked at her, about to say something but she wouldn't let him speak. "No! I'm not going to listen to you try and ruin what should be one of the happiest moments of my life! I may start sounding like a broken record before you actually _hear _this, but I make the decisions that affect my life, not you! You don't get to swoop in and start barking out orders, expecting me to follow blindly! I don't take commands from you, or anyone else!"

Tommy could see that she was furious. He almost felt sorry for Oliver.

"Now," she said tossing her hair over her shoulder, her voice more composed, "Tommy and I are leaving. You can stand here and rant at the sight of our cars as we drive off, or you can go home and calm down. I'll be available to talk to you," she raised a finger, "and note that my relationship with Tommy is not debatable since your opinion doesn't count," she lowered her finger again, "when you've come to your senses."

She stared pointedly at Oliver. "The choice is yours."

_God, she's glorious. How did I ever get this lucky?_

With one last scowl in her brother's direction, she left a thunderstruck Oliver staring after her as she walked over to Tommy and kissed him boldly on the lips. "You so need to make up for that botched confession." Her eyes sparkled at him. "But for now, we both have things to attend to. I'll see you later," she whispered with a wink.

As she climbed into her car, he headed toward his, not bothering to acknowledge the stunned Oliver standing on the sidewalk with his fists tightly clenched. He had people waiting for him at Merlyn Global. This thing with Oliver would have to wait.

* * *

Oliver was furious as he slammed the front door to his home. His best friend was taking advantage of his sister. To make things worse, she seemed to be allowing it! What the hell was going on? And why did he feel like he was completely out of the loop? How did he miss the very obvious signs? Just the other day they'd been behaving so strangely around him. Now he knew why! He'd thought that perhaps Felicity had roped them in to help plan something special for him. _Surprise!_

Removing his jacket and tie, he threw his keys on the table in the foyer and followed the sound of Felicity's voice. It was coming from the kitchen, along with a delicious aroma.

"…quite ready for bran yet, my sweet. These are for your Daddy, since he's very particular about what he puts into his body." _My wife is mocking me._ He smiled as he heard some kissing sounds followed by the babble of a baby.

Walking into the spacious area, he saw Felicity pulling a tray of muffins from the oven. Robbie was sitting in his baby lounger, securely strapped in, while he watched his mother's movements closely.

Felicity glanced up and his heart turned over. Her face was slightly flushed from the heat of the oven, her blonde hair tied back, her spectacles firmly in place.

"You're home early," she said in surprise as he leaned down to kiss her.

Lifting his head, Oliver's eyes roamed over her face knowing he'd never get enough of her. Even after so long, she was still the only woman who had the power to bring him to his knees.

"Uh oh. You look upset." Her eyes darkened with concern. "What's wrong?"

Oliver moved to the counter and kissed his son's chubby cheeks. The baby recognised him and beamed, his little hands moving excitedly.

"You're happy to see your Daddy, aren't you, little guy?" Unable to resist, he plucked Robbie from his seat and cradled him in his arms, chuckling as his son gave him a toothless grin. "I'm happy to see you too," he said softly.

Sometimes he still couldn't believe the miracle of his son's existence. That together, he and Felicity had managed to create someone so absolutely perfect. He'd never known he possessed the capacity to love as wholeheartedly as he did until Felicity, and later Robbie, had entered his life.

He looked back at his wife, his expression sombre once more. "I caught Tommy and Thea kissing outside Big Belly," he said stonily.

Robbie grabbed hold of his index finger and shoved it inside his mouth. Oliver smiled at him lovingly.

Felicity raised an eyebrow. "And let me guess – you did just about everything apart from actually plunging an arrow into his heart?"

Oliver glared at her, although she seemed completely unperturbed by his irritation. "I didn't hurt him, though I can't say I didn't want to - or still don't for that matter." Registering her lack of a reaction to his news, his eyes narrowed, "You don't seem surprised."

"I'm not. Thea told me yesterday that they were seeing one another," she confessed calmly.

His jaw tightened. "And you didn't tell me?"

Felicity leaned back against the kitchen counter. "Since you're apparently taking the news so well, I wonder why I decided not to," she said, making him feel like she was scolding him without actually altering the tone of her voice.

"She's my sister, Felicity," he said by way of explanation.

"So?"

His eyes flashed. "So?!" Robbie fussed causing Oliver to lighten his tone. "He's too old for her. He's a philandering playboy. He just got out of a three year relationship. How does any of that make him a suitable candidate for Thea?"

Felicity rolled her eyes at him. "You're behaving like someone from the Stone Age. He's not too old for her. In case you haven't noticed, your sister is a well-spoken, intelligent, mature young woman who knows what she wants." She looked at him intently. "And Tommy is not a playboy. You know that. Granted, he got out of a long term relationship recently," at his look of disbelief, she amended, "okay, _very_ recently, but we both know it's not like it was the greatest love affair of his life. They were trying to save a sinking ship."

He paced, gently rocking the baby. "They confessed their love in front of me," he said, still shocked. "Tommy said he _loved _her, Felicity. How do I know he really means it?"

Felicity shrugged. "You don't know. And the reality is that he doesn't need to prove it to you. Thea's opinion is the only one that counts."

Oliver glanced at her, annoyed. "She said the same thing."

"See? I told you she was smart," Felicity replied, grinning broadly.

The baby asleep, he lay him gently inside his seat, kissing his forehead tenderly. His eyelids fluttered but they didn't open. He then turned to his wife.

"Why are you taking their side?" he asked, feeling betrayed.

Felicity laughed and pushed away from the counter, wrapping her arms around his neck. "Because they deserve a chance, Oliver. Think about it, in the last few years, has Tommy ever let you down?"

He held her against him, enjoying having her so close. "No," he answered honestly.

"You're the one who's been telling me about how much he's changed. Have you subsequently amended your opinion?"

He sighed, knowing that he hadn't. "No."

"So do you really think that Tommy would jeopardise his relationship with you so that he could merely toy with your sister's affections?"

He frowned. "I guess not."

Felicity looked at him expectantly. "Then what conclusion can you draw based on the facts?"

_Dammit._ "That he must genuinely care about her," he said reluctantly.

She gave him a soft smile. "Tommy is not the bad guy, Oliver. If anything he's proven to you, consistently I might add, that he's one of the good guys."

Knowing he was losing the argument, Oliver decided to be unreasonable. "But she's my _sister_, Felicity," he said for the second time.

Felicity huffed. "What is this really about?"

_She knows me so well._ "I've known Tommy for a long time," he started, struggling to find the right words, "and because of that, I know about all his-"

Felicity waved a hand in front of his face. "No. Stop. Ewe. Don't you dare say another word. I do not want to know about Tommy Merlyn's," she wrinkled her nose, "skills."

For the first time since he'd watched his sister and his best friend making out, Oliver laughed out loud. "I'm glad to hear it."

She shook her head at him in amusement. "You do realise that you need to get over it, right? Whatever you know about him is in the past. It's not fair that you judge him based on that. You're not the same guy you were back then either."

"I wish it was that simple," he said, rubbing a hand across his face.

"It actually is. I took a chance on you, Oliver and it was the best decision of my life. Imagine if I hadn't? Where would we be now?"

Oliver hugged her to him. "I don't want to think about it."

She held him tightly. "Then you know that you can't ask Tommy and Thea to just walk away either. They need to decide for themselves if what they have is worth fighting for."

"I hate it when you make sense," Oliver grumbled against her neck.

"I am the brains in this partnership," she teased. "You, my love, are the brawn."

He laughed. "An insult followed by a compliment. The story of my life." They stood in one another's arms for a moment, each enjoying the embrace.

"I behaved like a Neanderthal, didn't I?" he groaned.

Felicity grinned against his chest. "I wasn't there so I can't be 100% sure, but yeah, you probably did."

"Okay, I'll apologise," he said grudgingly. "But first," he gave her a suggestive look, "I want to spend some quality time with my wife." He started unbuttoning the front of her shirt.

Felicity giggled. "Oliver, Robbie is-"

"Fast asleep," he assured her with a sexy grin as her shirt went flying.


	15. Chapter 15: We Hurt

Dearest Readers,

****MAJOR ARROW SPOILERS BELOW****

My heart splintered into a million pieces when Tommy was killed in the "Arrow" season finale. I refuse to give my ship an unhappily ever after, so I've borrowed certain aspects of last night's episode and incorporated them into my story. Because of the changes, this will obviously not be the last chapter.

I hope you enjoy it.

**LadyG**

* * *

Tommy and Thea were sandwiched together on a couch in the lounge of the Queen Mansion. Sprawled across his chest, she sighed happily. "Good thing my mother and Walter were called away on urgent business," she said, her eyebrows wiggling naughtily, "or else we'd be sitting together very primly on this here couch."

Tommy reached up and toyed with a strand of her hair. "I know. How would you ever have managed to keep your hands off me?" he replied with a smirk.

Thea gasped, her hand swatting him playfully on his arm. "Oh right. Because _I_ was the one who threw _you _on the couch."

He grinned and her bones turned to jelly. "Semantics. The important thing is that we're horizontal," he said, his eyes crinkling in the corners as he smiled. "Doesn't matter whose idea it was."

She laughed. "Well, let me state for the record, that you have very good ideas."

He lifted his head and gave her a gentle kiss. "I'm sorry that I didn't get to tell you how much I love you in the way in which you deserve. It all just happened so fast." His eyes met hers. "But I do, Thea. Completely and utterly."

She felt her eyes well with tears. "I don't care how you told me, I'm just glad that you did. I'm crazy about you, Tommy. I tried not to be, but you seem to have a direct line to my heart and no matter how many times I tried cancelling the call, your name just kept popping up."

He lifted her until she was sitting across his lap, her one arm around his neck. His hand reached for her free one, linking their fingers loosely.

"Did it pop up for the first time when drunk out of your mind, you threw yourself at me four years ago?" His voice was tinged with amusement.

Thea groaned. "Oh God, I knew it was too much to ask that you'd forgotten all about that!"

He chuckled in delight. "I can't say that I wasn't flattered." They bumped noses. "But I wasn't near good enough for you back then and I think that deep down I knew it."

Thea's finger played with the dimple in his chin. "You're the only one for me, Merlyn. Maybe fate knew it too and that's why I went away, so that I'd come back at just the right time."

They kissed tenderly.

"Am I ever glad that you didn't give up on me," he said softly, his forehead against hers.

"Never," she whispered fervently.

He kissed her again, and Thea responded eagerly, unable to get enough of him. They loved each other and they were together. Nothing else mattered.

The front door slammed shut.

They broke apart and looked in the direction of the sound. Oliver walked into the room and Thea was certain that he couldn't have missed seeing their heated embrace. She felt her hackles rising again, ready to put her brother firmly in his place for the second time in as many days.

"Don't get up," he said as Tommy moved to stand.

Instead of yelling like she was expecting him to, he walked over to the seat opposite them and sat down.

Looking at both of them in turn, he offered a small smile. "I-err-I came to apologise."

Thea's mouth fell open, but she shut it again immediately. This was not what she'd imagined her brother would say. "You did?" she asked, in a mild state of shock.

"I do know how to admit when I'm wrong," he said frowning. "Why is everyone so surprised by it?"

Tommy scoffed. "Maybe because it happens so rarely?"

Oliver inclined his head in acknowledgement. "Thea," he looked at her, "I had no right to fly off the handle like that. I'm sorry." he said sincerely. "You were right. Who you choose to be with is none of my business. Although I do reserve the right to voice my concerns if I think you're making a mistake. You're my sister and I love you. That's never going to change-"

She raised an eyebrow and interrupted. "I thought this was an apology?"

"If you'd let me finish," he said, looking at her patiently. "I don't think that the two of you being together is a mistake."

Thea knew that it probably hadn't been easy for Oliver to come over and admit that he'd read the situation all wrong.

She beamed at him. "Thank you. I appreciate you saying that."

He gave her a smile before fixing his gaze on Tommy. "I probably owe you an even greater apology," he stated.

Thea noticed that Tommy looked taken aback.

"You _are_ my best friend and while I always knew deep down that you'd never intentionally hurt Thea, the shock of seeing you together caused me to lose my head a little. I don't actually think that you're a philandering playboy."

The corners of Tommy's mouth curvde upward.

"And I don't honestly believe that you're using Thea to replace Laurel. I know that your relationship with her was over a long time ago. I'm sorry for being a jerk about it."

Tommy seemed to be watching his friend closely. He nodded before extending his hand to Oliver. They stood and shook hands before hugging and clapping one another loudly on the back.

"Although," Oliver said, his eyes dancing, "I think you know enough about how dangerous I can be to ever attempt to hurt my sister?"

Tommy burst out laughing and Thea rolled her eyes. "Again with the not-so-subtle intimidation."

"No worries," Tommy replied. "Your brother and I understand each other perfectly."

Oliver cracked a smile. "Relax, Thea."

Oliver was obviously referring to the frown on her face. _I give up._ She didn't understand how the minds of men worked. One moment they were fighting, the next they were best friends again. Shaking her head, she decided it wasn't worth losing sleep over.

"Suddenly I'm really thirsty. Let me get us something to drink."

Glad that they'd all patched up their differences, she headed toward the kitchen.

* * *

"What I said about you, I didn't mean it. Not really." Oliver repeated apologetically.

Tommy looked at his oldest friend and shrugged. "In your shoes, I may have behaved in the exact same manner. I don't blame you."

Oliver shook his head. "Still, that's no excuse. I want you to know that I'm genuinely happy for both of you." He grinned. "I think I'm just going to need some time to get used to the idea."

Tommy laughed. "You and me both."

"You know-" Oliver didn't have an opportunity to finish his sentence because a deafening blast erupted that shook the foundations of the floor.

Oliver reacted immediately. "What the hell was that?" he exclaimed as he rushed toward the sound.

Tommy, hot on his heels, stopping dead in his tracks as they reached the kitchen, almost completely engulfed in flames.

"An explosion," Oliver said, his eyes quickly assessing the situation with cold precision.

Tommy looked at his friend, his eyes panicked. "Thea." His heart was in his throat, his mind running a mile a minute. She'd said she was getting them something to drink. That meant she was somewhere amongst the piles of debris and red flames leaping before them. His blood ran cold at the thought.

They made their way into the burning room. It was hot, smoke everywhere, thick and billowing. Tommy felt his eyes begin to water, but he didn't care. Thea was in there somewhere, and they had to find her.

"Thea!" he called frantically, over and over, lifting pieces of rubble out of the way as he searched for any sign of her. He could hear Oliver close by, calling her name too.

"Tommy!" He looked across his shoulder and saw Oliver signalling to him.

Hurrying over, his heart nearly stopped when he recognised the bright yellow of Thea's sweater. Desperate, he helped Oliver lift a piece of heavy wood off of her body.

He heard her coughing and sent a prayer heavenward. _She's alive._ Lifting her, Thea stood between them, her hand over her mouth. "I'm okay," she called.

Looking back at the path they'd traversed, Tommy realised that the only way out was directly through the worst of the blaze. Oliver removed his jacket and threw it over Thea's head.

"Quickly!" his friend shouted, pointing in the direction they needed to go.

It felt as though everything was happening in slow motion. One moment he was behind Thea, hurrying her along and the next he saw a piece of the roof falling directly above her head. Instinct took over as he shoved her toward Oliver and out of harm's way.

He heard her scream as he went down on something sharp, his breath hitching as it pierced his skin, the pain excruciating. A stone column fell on top of him, pinning him down, crushing him to the floor. From far off, he heard Oliver calling his name, but he was too drowsy to react. It hurt everywhere and it was getting harder to breathe. He could taste the metallic tinge of blood in the back of his throat and wondered if he was about to die.

His vision blurring, he closed his eyes as tears rolled down the sides of his face. _Thea._ He'd never get to see her laughing face again, or hear the magical sound of her laughter.

_I'll never get to spend forever with her. _

It wasn't fair. They'd only just found one another and now by virtue of his death, she was being taken away from him, when he was happier than he'd ever been in his entire life.

At least he'd managed to save her. If anything had happened to her, he would not have been able to go on. Life would have been an endless passing of seconds, minutes, hours. He'd be dead without her anyway, so perhaps there was some kind of justice after all. She got to live her life and he could rest easier knowing that he'd made sure she was safe.

He groaned as he felt the heavy weight being lifted off his chest. Pain exploded everywhere, making his head swim. Oliver was still calling his name, over and over and over. He wanted to beg him to stop, to leave him be; the pain was too much. But he couldn't utter a word.

He felt himself being lifted, or rather dragged along, his breath coming out in frantic gasps, as pain so intense he was sure his limbs were being ripped apart, overwhelmed him. He heard himself cry out, not recognising the tortured wail that emitted from his throat.

What felt like hours later, he was being laid down on something soft, but solid. Breathing became a little easier. He heard his name again, but this time it wasn't Oliver. _Thea._

Forcing his eyes open, he saw her face above him, her eyes filled with tears. _She's so beautiful._ He searched her face, wanting to etch the memory of her on his brain. This would be his last look and he wanted it to last forever. She'd saved him. He hoped she knew how much he loved her.

His lids felt heavy and keeping them open was a battle he was too tired to keep fighting. Exhausted and riddled with pain, he felt himself succumb to the darkness.

* * *

"Tommy!" Thea screamed, her voice filled with fear. He was lying on the floor in the lounge where Oliver had dragged him before calling for an ambulance. She knew she couldn't allow him to close his eyes and drift off or he might never open them again. The very thought almost paralysed her.

Her voice cracking, she called out again, louder and firmer this time. "Tommy!" She needed him to stay with her.

She saw his lids flutter open, weak, his eyes glazed over with pain. She looked down at him and tried to stop the sob rising up within her. He was a bloody mess. The front of his shirt was stained red around the sharp metal rod that protruded from the centre of his chest. The side of his left temple was matted with blood as were the scrapes all over his neck and arms. Pushing her panic aside, she started talking.

"You listen to me, Merlyn! Don't you _dare_ close your eyes, don't you dare even think of leaving me! You told me that I changed you, that I made you better. Well, guess what? _I'd_ be the one lost without you! Don't make me give you up!" Her voice broke as tears ran down her face. "I've only just found you, don't leave me! Please don't leave me!" she begged.

She touched his arms lightly, so afraid she'd hurt him more. She watched as his eyes tried to focus on her, his mouth moving slowly. "I-I love you," he whispered softly, before being seized by a fit of coughing.

Thea swallowed past the lump in her throat. "I love you too. You're not going to die. I won't let you die. You're going to marry me and give me a house full of Merlyn babies. Do you understand that? You will not get rid of me so easily." She started shouting at him, unable to stop. "You have to fight, Tommy! You have to fight for me, for us! Please…" Her voice trailed off as she broke down crying. "Please don't leave me," she pleaded again as his eyes fell closed, his head rolling to the side. "Tommy!" she sobbed.

She felt firm hands on her shoulders, lifting her away. "Thea, the paramedics are here, they need to get near him." She recognised Oliver's voice.

Feeling herself being lifted away from Tommy, she panicked. "No! No! Don't take me away from him! Please, Ollie!" She fought against her brother as he pulled her back, thrashing and screaming. "Don't let them take him without me! Tommy!" she called hysterically.

"It's okay, Thea. They're going to help him. They're going to do their best to help him." Oliver held her tightly against him, talking to her in a soothing, hypnotic tone, constantly repeating himself. Thea held onto him tightly as she cried her heart out, the sobs racking her body.

She couldn't lose him now. Not when she'd just found him.


	16. Chapter 16: Chemicals React

**A/N: And so I've reached the end of Tommy and Thea's journey. Well, almost. I hope to post the Epilogue at some point over the weekend. Thanks to everyone who have read, followed, favourited and reviewed. I am very grateful. :)**

**LadyG**

* * *

Thea sat beside Tommy's hospital bed for three day's straight. For those long, endless hours she watched him, praying silently, listening to the sound of the heart rate monitor as it beeped at regular intervals, grateful because it represented his fight to stay alive. Her emotions were on a rollercoaster, hopeful in some moments and despairing in others.

The only time she left his bedside was when she desperately needed a quick shower and a change of clothing or if one of her family members pried her away so they could force her to eat something. Her mother, Walter, Diggle, Felicity and Oliver took turns sitting with her, each of them lending their support. Although she realised that she wasn't really communicating much, she was grateful for their presence. She didn't think she could have waited for so many hours all by herself.

Oliver, Felicity and Diggle had worked tirelessly at the times they weren't with her in order to find out what had happened at the house and who was responsible. After an intense investigation, they'd discovered that two of Malcolm Merlyn's henchmen had attempted to kill who they thought was Walter, afraid that he would expose their involvement in his kidnapping. Had he not been called away on urgent business, he may very well have been murdered. The reality was that Walter had never seen them, only heard their voices and had they just kept their distance, they would most likely have gotten away scot free.

After Oliver managed to track them down, he'd handed them over to Detective Lance who had vowed that they would face the full weight of law. It had been established early on that Malcolm had not been involved in the instruction, the two men acting independently based on their mutual fear of discovery. Apparently Tommy's father was beside himself, demanding to see his son. That, of course, would never happen.

Thea was sitting in her usual position, curled up on the couch opposite Tommy's bed, watching him like a hawk. He was lying deathly still, a white bandage wrapped around his head and other smaller ones taped in his neck and around his arms. The doctor had told them that Tommy was lucky to be alive, the metal rod having missed his spine and vital organs by the tiniest of margins. That, however, didn't mean that he was out of the woods. He'd lost a lot of blood and the severe blow to his head had left him comatose since they'd removed him from the mansion.

Walter was in the room with her, standing at the window overlooking the twinkling lights of the city, his presence unobtrusive and comforting. Thea felt tired, but she was too afraid to close her eyes for fear that something would happen to Tommy while she wasn't watching him.

Walter came to sit beside her, taking her hand and holding it in his.

"That was supposed to be me," he said staring at the bed.

Thea glanced at him sharply. "Walter, no. I don't wish that. I would never wish that."

"I didn't think you did," he said with a small smile. "I promise you, Thea, the two maniacs who did this will pay."

She nodded. "I know. But it may mean nothing if Tommy doesn't make it through this," she said, her voice hoarse from all the crying.

"So Tommy Merlyn is your guy," he said, looking at her curiously. "Complicated?"

Thea cracked a sad smile. "He is," she agreed, "and I hope he continues to be. It _was_ complicated, or like you said, challenging."

"I take it that's not the case anymore?"

"No. Everything was coming together and then this happened." Her eyes grew moist again.

"You'll be happy to know that your mother approves of your choice. She likes young Mr Merlyn."

Thea knew he was trying to cheer her up. "She told me. Although I think she was rather shocked before the relief set in. I bet Mom was expecting me to show up with some goth-looking-wannabe struggling musician," she said, slightly amused.

Walter squeezed her hand. "He's a good man, Thea. For what it's worth, he proved himself to be a hero when he saved your life."

She closed her eyes tightly as she relived the moment. "I don't want a hero, Walter. I just want him to live."

"Hey, Tommy did that because he must obviously love you very much." He put an arm around her and hugged her to his side.

Thea looked at him tearfully. "I love him, too." She was quiet for a moment. "What if he doesn't make it?"

"As long as he's breathing, there's hope. Don't give up."

Softly, she said, "I promised him that I wouldn't."

"Then I know you won't." Walter replied confidently as Thea rested her head against his shoulder.

* * *

From a far off place Tommy could hear the low murmur of voices but he couldn't discern who they belonged to. His whole body hurt and he felt tired and sluggish, but the fact that he felt pain had to be a good sign. _I can't be dead?_ He tried to lift his eyelids, but the effort seemed too great, so he chose to leave them shut.

He could hear a constant beep, the sound muffled, and he realised that he must be in the hospital. He focussed on his breathing, slow and steady. His throat felt dry and raw, from the fire he was sure. The fire. It came back to him in flashes. The explosion at the mansion. Thea lying on the ground. Him pushing her out of the way. Being pinned to the floor. The pain. _Thea._ _Is she here? Is she alright?_ The last thing he remembered was hearing her begging him to stay awake, but try as he might, he hadn't been able to obey her plea. The pain had been too much and he'd been too tired.

The voices grew closer until he was sure they were right beside him. _Thea._ He could hear her. Someone else too. _Walter?_

"The doctor says he could come out of it at any time but the wait is driving me crazy." He felt a pang at the ache in her voice.

Again, he tried to open his eyes, but still couldn't, although his other senses were slowly recovering. He tried to move his hand and briefly succeeded, but since there was no reaction from his visitors, he knew they must not have seen.

"It's only been three days. That's a relatively short period of time." _Three days?! _

"I know I'm being impatient. I just want to know that he's okay. That he'll wake up. If I knew for certain that he would, then I wouldn't care if I needed to wait ten days or 30. I just want to know that it _will _happen."

"We have the very best people treating him. They're confident Tommy will wake up. It's simply a matter of time."

He felt someone reach for his hand. The touch was soft and light and familiar. He knew it was Thea. He tried to move his hand again, and did, except it wasn't the right one.

"I'm going to get some coffee. Would you like some?" Walter asked.

There was silence and then he heard footsteps and a door closing.

A chair was being scraped across the floor, coming closer to the side of his bed. He felt Thea's hands again, both of hers wrapping around one of his.

"Hey, Tommy," she said softly. "I'm going out on a limb here and hoping that you can hear me. " Her voice was trembling. "I-I've never really been in love before. There have been some big crushes, big relationships, but not love. If I had to venture a guess, I'd say that was probably because I've never completely been myself with any of them. In the back of my mind I was always worrying about whether they truly cared about me or about the money my family had. Then there was the constant disapproval. I was too wild, too outspoken, too honest, too brash. Maybe the truth was that I could never love a man who was always trying to make me conform to his idea of what I should be like."

He felt her lips, soft and cool, as they brushed across his knuckles. He knew he could move them if he wanted to, but he waited.

"I've never felt _this_, Tommy. Never this complete assault on my emotions. Never this," her voice faltered, "endless worry and concern about someone else's needs and wants - putting them before my own because their happiness superseded mine. I'm an independent woman, Merlyn. You know that. I don't back down, I don't give in, I don't just acquiesce."

He felt the softness of her cheek brush against his hand and it was the greatest struggle of his life to lie motionless when all he wanted to do was let her know that he was awake and well.

"But with you, I've never felt that admitting to needing help or deferring to your opinion made me weak. I've always been your equal, in every way. You've never tried to change me, to make me into what you wanted me to be. You don't know how much that means to me. How is it that you've always had this uncanny way of knowing what I was feeling and just what I needed? Even all those years ago, with the drugs and the excessive alcohol," she said, her voice trailing off. "I humiliated myself and yet you never made me feel like I'd disappointed you."

She started crying softly and his heart broke. She'd always been perfect to him, despite her flaws. He supposed he'd seen a bit of himself in her – a rebel, trying to do the right thing but often failing miserably.

"There is no else for me. There is no one I'd ever be able to love as much as I love you. You have to make it through this. I'm not giving you a choice. Dying is not an option. So you take all the time you need to recover so that you can come back to me. You make _me_ better, Tommy. I need you to keep being that person who challenges me and calls me out when I'm being a brat." She laughed shakily.

He could feel her tears as they landed on his hand. "I'm waiting for you. I'll wait as long as you need me to."

* * *

Thea stood and wiped the tears from her face. Walter would be back soon and she didn't want him to see her like that. It upset her family when she cried. She suspected it was because they didn't know how to make the situation any better.

Her heart squeezed painfully as she looked at Tommy. He was so handsome and if she didn't know better, she'd think he was merely asleep. His stubble had grown over the last few days and lightly matted the lower half of his face. Personally, she thought it added a roguish appeal that suited his personality. She hated that she couldn't see his gorgeous greys staring back at her, always filled with mischief.

Leaning forward she closed her eyes and kissed him, the touch of his lips soft and warm.

Lifting her head and yelped when her eyes met his, clear and so wonderfully alive. Watching her intently, he smiled and she broke down.

"Seriously, Queen. I thought waking up would make you happy, not add to your misery," he said gruffly.

She sobbed. "I am happy, you fool!" she exclaimed as she buried her face in his neck. She felt his arms at her sides, too weak to do more than touch her. "Wait," she pulled back, looking at him suspiciously. "Have you been awake all this time?" she accused, but without any censure.

He grinned tiredly. "It's not every day that you're on the brink of death and a woman pours her heart out to you."

She shook her head at him. "This is no time to joke, Merlyn!" She took a step back. "Let me get the doctor."

"Wait!" he called before she could move away.

Her eyes roamed over him restlessly, trying to see if anything was the matter. "What's wrong? Are you in pain?" she asked, panicked.

"I feel fine." She gave him a look of disbelief and he amended. "Okay, I feel terrible, but I want to say something to you first before the poking and prodding begins."

"What?" She watched him closely for any signs of discomfort.

* * *

Tommy swallowed past the lump in his throat. He cut to the chase. "I love you, Thea Queen. More than anything in this world." He spoke slowly, wanting his words to be clear.

He watched as her eyes welled with tears and her chin wobbled.

"And if this ordeal has taught me anything, apart from officially knowing that I can't allow you out of my sight," he saw her smile tremulously, "it's that sometimes we think that there's going to be time to do everything we want to do. Time to make plans and execute them. Only there's not. There isn't ever going to be enough time for me to show you exactly what you mean to me, but I'm going to try anyway. Life is too short, and I don't want to waste any more of mine."

Tommy had never felt more nervous and oddly, more confident in his life. He knew what he wanted and he wasn't afraid to claim it. The remarkable woman before him had been instrumental in saving him from himself. He never wanted to be without her.

"Marry me," he whispered softly.

He saw her eyes widen before her mouth dropped open. "For real?" She lifted a trembling hand to her lips. "Trust you to tell me you love me and propose at the worst possible moments."

He tried to laugh, but winced in pain. "I try to avoid the cliche," he teased before sobering. "I want to be with you for the rest of my life. I don't want to wait. I know you're young and I wouldn't blame you if you had some reservations-"

"Yes," she replied decisively.

It was his turn to stare at her in shock.

"You're saying yes to marrying me or yes to having reservations?" he asked anxiously, trying not to hope, but failing.

She laughed. "There's nothing wrong with your hearing, Tommy. Or your skills of deduction," she said, reminding him of the time he'd said similar words to her.

He sighed in relief and pulled her against him, cringing as the stitches in his chest tightened and his head throbbed painfully, but not caring at all.

"You won't be sorry, Thea. You'll never be sorry."

She beamed at him. "I know. I've always been impulsive, so why stop now? Besides, you and I are a sure thing. I don't have any doubts about that."

She kissed him tenderly, a seal of their commitment to one another.

There'd be time later to tell him about the explosion and who'd been responsible, but for now, she had to make sure that he was going to be alright.

Running out she called the doctor and followed him back into the room. Throughout his cursory examination Thea held her breath, only releasing it when the doctor gave her a thumbs up.

Tommy would heal and she'd be there to help him every step of the way. This was going to be their beginning.

Finally, they would have their chance at forever.

That was truly all she'd ever wanted.


	17. Chapter 17: Epilogue

**A/N: It's the end! **

**Thank you to everyone who's taken the time to read this story and who loved the idea of Tommy and Thea as much as I did.**

**Let me know what you think! :)**

**LadyG**

* * *

_3 Months Later_

The day had finally arrived. After a crazy few months in which Thea had been dashing around frantically trying to successfully launch _Drama Queen_, move into the Merlyn mansion so she could keep an eye on Tommy's recovery and plan a wedding, it felt a little surreal to be standing in her old bedroom staring at her reflection in the floor length mirror.

She loved her wedding gown. Together with her mother and Monique Lhullier's brilliance, (Felicity had been more interested in the famous fashion icon's high tech design software) she'd opted for a custom white, full French lace, mermaid style gown with a sweetheart neckline and cap sleeves. The keyhole back was flattering on her figure, adding a hint of sexy while still keeping the dress ultra romantic. The drama was in the gorgeous train that elegantly floated behind her as she walked.

Her stomach swirling with butterflies, she tugged nervously at her veil resting on the back of her up-do and secured to the rear of her head with an intricate diamond pin that her mother had given her. The matching diamond studs at her ears had been a wedding gift from Oliver and Felicity.

In just a few moments she would become Tommy's wife and that thought, more than any other, had sustained her through all the stress and strain that had come from deciding to plan a wedding in the shortest time period possible. Her mother had risen to the challenge admirably and made most of the plans, with Thea's input of course, while she'd made sure that her business operated smoothly and Tommy was well taken care of.

He'd been her biggest challenge of all, mostly frustrated at being cooped up indoors when he'd rather be helping with the wedding or resuming his work at Verdant and Merlyn Global. Thea had flat out refused to let him do anything more strenuous than venture around the house. His health had been her main priority and while he wasn't completely recovered yet, he was nearly there.

Apart from the hard work, the past three months had mainly been about them. If it was even possible, she was more in love with him at that moment than she'd been when he'd proposed. He made her happier than she'd ever been, he understood and supported her and above all, he loved her. He truly loved her.

"All ready?" Moira's voice came from behind her as she entered the room.

Thea turned to look at her mother and heard her gasp, her hands reaching up to cover her mouth, her eyes growing moist.

"Oh, Thea," she breathed. "You look beautiful."

She moved forward to hug her, sniffing gently. "I'm so happy for you, darling. Tommy is wonderful and I hope he knows how lucky he is to have you," she said tearfully.

Thea laughed. "Oh, he does."

Moira touched her veil reverently. "I always hoped I'd be around to see you as a bride. I'm so proud of you, Thea. Of all that you've achieved, of the woman you've become. The woman you've _always_ been," she stressed. "I know I didn't show it enough-"

Thea felt her vision blur. "Mom, don't. It's okay. You and I are okay."

"But-"

Thea shook her head. "Thank you though," she interrupted. "I love you for saying it. Your approval means the world to me."

"Sweetheart, you've always had it." They hugged again. "Oh, look at us, crying and ruining our make-up," Moira laughed.

There was a knock at the door and Felicity poked her head inside, a vision in a long ice blue strapless gown, Robbie on her arm.

"Thea, you look gorgeous!" she exclaimed in awe. The baby babbled excitedly and all three women laughed. "I think Robbie agrees," Felicity smiled.

Her mother squeezed her hand before reaching for her grandson. "Help Thea with her veil, Felicity. I'll tell Walter you're on your way." Moira gave her one final watery smile.

Thea stood still as her sister-in-law lowered her veil over her face. Taking a deep breath, she took the first few steps toward her new life.

* * *

Tommy was a wreck. He tried three times to knot his tie, but failed miserably, his hands all thumbs. He was so excited to marry Thea, but all the waiting was killing him. Cursing, he heard someone laugh behind him.

"Let me do it. You look like you're about to pass out." Oliver grabbed his tie and expertly tied it.

"This is not the best time to mock me, Ollie," Tommy replied tensely, standing still.

Oliver grinned. "I don't think I've ever seen you this nervous."

Tommy wiped a hand across his forehead. "That's because I've never been this nervous before," he confessed.

Oliver sobered. "Hey, you're looking sharp and quite frankly, you know my sister would have married you in that hospital bed. This," he gestured to Tommy's silver grey, tailor made Dolce & Gabbana suit, "is a definite improvement."

He cracked a smile. "I should have taken her up on that offer. What was I thinking?" he muttered under his breath. At the time he'd thought that all the pomp and ceremony would be fun. Now, he wasn't so sure.

"Tommy, relax." Oliver grasped his shoulders. "I'm glad we have a moment together before the ceremony starts."

"It's a little too late to intimidate me, you know. I'm marrying her," he said, his nerves making him edgy.

Oliver frowned at him. "What are you on about? I wanted to thank you, for loving my sister and for making her so happy," Oliver said seriously.

Tommy felt a little emotional and a tad foolish. "I-I don't know what to say. It's not a chore for me, Ollie. It's the easiest and most rewarding thing I've ever done."

Oliver nodded. "I just wanted to let you know that I'm happy for you both." Oliver jabbed him in the shoulder, "Finally, you'll be my true brother."

Tommy grinned. "Yeah. This will make it official."

They hugged, each man genuinely thankful to have the other in his life.

Coughing conspicuously, Oliver clapped him on the back. "Time to go. My sister's waiting."

* * *

The ceremony had been beautiful. Held on the lush grounds of the Queen Mansion, the couple had exchanged vows beneath a flowered arch in sight of Thea's father's grave on a warm day in early fall. Having him be a part of the proceedings had been important to her. Three hundred and fifty guests and members of the press had been invited and seated in rows of white chairs on either side of a white carpeted aisle.

Thea had chosen Felicity to be her only bridesmaid and naturally Oliver had stood proudly at Tommy's side. Their vows had been penned individually, heartfelt and tender, causing most of the audience to shed a tear as the groom declared his undying love to his bride.

When the priest had finally declared them husband and wife, Tommy had thoroughly kissed Thea, leaving no one in doubt about his happiness at having the official part of the day behind them.

Running back down the aisle under a shower of confetti, the newlyweds laughed happily. Thea couldn't miss Laurel Lance smiling broadly as they dashed by, beside her a very handsome man she thought looked suspiciously like the new Assistant District Attorney.

"I love you, Mrs Merlyn," Tommy said as they rounded a corner in the garden, out of sight of the guests. The reception would be held inside a marquis on the other side of the house. "And this is, without a doubt, the best day of my life."

Thea threw her arms around his neck, her bouquet of white roses hanging down his back. "I concur, Mr Merlyn," she said before kissing him soundly.

"Wow," he said when she lifted her head. "Had I known you were dying to ravish me, I would have asked the good pastor to hurry up."

Thea grinned. "Knowing you, you probably would have." They stood in the circle of one another's arms.

"Have I told you how beautiful you are?" he asked, running a finger over her lips.

"Not in words," she replied, kissing his fingertip. She'd seen the look in his eyes as she'd walked down the aisle toward him. There'd been no need for words.

Tommy smiled. "Then let me say it. You take my breath away." He punctuated each word with a kiss.

Her head swimming, Thea heard footsteps behind them. "Incoming," she said, with a smile.

He grabbed her hand and pulled her after him. "Let's get this show on the road. I'm really looking forward to the encore." He winked at her wickedly.

Thea held his hand tightly, laughing as they walked into the room filled with their well-wishing family and friends. A few more hours and they'd be alone.

She could hardly wait.

* * *

_Two Years Later_

Thea was standing in the kitchen preparing a few last minute details. Her entire family was coming over for a barbeque and were due to arrive shortly.

Giving the potato salad a final stir, she covered it with cling film and placed it on the counter. From just beyond the door she heard Tommy hoot with laughter. The sound made her happy. She'd heard it so regularly throughout their two year marriage and more often than not, hers mingled with his. However, since she was a room away, she wondered what the source of all the hilarity was.

Curious, she washed her hands and went in search of her husband. She found him to the side of the patio lying on the grass. On either side of him were their three month old twin girls, Rebecca and Meghan. Thea smiled as she watched him with them.

They hadn't spoken about when they'd start a family once they'd married, but they had both known that they didn't want to wait too long. Therefore, after a year of marriage, they'd agreed to forego her birth control and see what happened. Neither of them had expected her to conceive so soon after, but nonetheless, they'd been thrilled.

Tommy loved his girls. She marvelled at his incredible patience with them and the enormity of his love and devotion to her and their children. Having them had changed their lives, but in the best possible ways.

_Drama Queen_ had been a resounding success, so much so that she'd expanded her business into New York and Los Angeles. It kept her busy, but never at the sacrifice of her family. Tommy had also taken on a lot of responsibility. He still managed Verdant, merely because he loved the club so much and he saw it as a personal favour to Oliver, but he'd also ascended to CEO of Merlyn Global, a job that was highly stressful and very demanding. However, like her, he'd set clear boundaries. He didn't travel unless his family could accompany him and if he was forced to leave them, he wasn't away for more than two consecutive nights and never in the same month.

The arrangement worked perfectly for them and meant that their time together as a couple and as a family superseded any other responsibilities. Tommy supported her career and her business ventures as passionately as she supported his. They truly were two halves of the same whole.

Thea watched as Tommy laughed again. Rebecca was reaching out to touch her sister. "That's right, baby girl, slow and easy. No fighting."

Thea pushed away from the door. "I see you're starting the discipline early," she said, amused.

He turned his head around and his eyes met hers. Her knees almost buckled at the love blazing directly at her.

"Well, I figured starting early is best considering," he replied, his lips twitching.

Thea raised an eyebrow. "Considering what?" She sank down onto the blanket beside him.

"Their mother has a reputation for being lawless. I need to make sure they take after me."

Thea scoffed. "I happen to be a model citizen!" She looked down at her beautiful babies and her heart turned over.

Rebecca, named after Tommy's deceased mother and Meghan after Felicity, looked exactly like their father. Both had heads of pitch black hair and gorgeous grey eyes.

"Look at them. They look like you. Chances are therefore extremely high that they'll have my sparkling personality," she said with a saucy grin.

Tommy leaned over and kissed her. "Now I can't argue with that."

"Flatterer," she retorted.

"You love it," came his reply.

Thea laughed. "You know me too well."

He was about to kiss her again when the doorbell rang. He groaned. "Your family is about to invade our home."

Shaking her head in amusement she pushed him up. "You're the one who invited them!"

He sighed with mock intensity. "Right."

Thea watched as he left to open the door. Turning to her kids she scooped them up into her arms and gave each one a kiss. They were growing so fast, she couldn't believe how heavy they'd become. Dressed in matching baby rompers with little bunnies on, one in pink and the other in yellow, they looked adorable.

She'd just stepped into the kitchen when a little bullet headed toward her. "Me see ba-ba!" exclaimed Robbie as he tugged at her jeans.

Thea laughed as an exasperated Felicity came running after him. "Hey, Thea." She saw her son. "There you are! What did Mommy ask you to do?" Her sister-in-law kneeled in front of the toddler.

Robbie had the foresight to look contrite. "Me wait by car."

"Exactly." Felicity picked him up and kissed his cheek. "Mommy will show you the babies." She looked at Thea. "Aww, they're so cute, aren't they Robbie?"

He giggled and babbled as he pointed at his cousins. Felicity smiled at him proudly. "Sorry. He made a dash for the door when Oliver took him out of the car."

Thea grinned. "No need to explain. Mom was telling me about how he broke her Ming vase last week."

Felicity shook her head. "I promised her that I'd find her another one but she insisted that I shouldn't bother. Apparently she was looking to redecorate."

Bored with their conversation, Robbie wiggled to get down so Felicity placed him on his feet. "Let me follow this terror before he breaks your house," she said lovingly.

"Leave him be. This place is beyond child proof."

At Felicity's curious look, Thea explained. "Tommy decided to ensure the kids can't choke on chemicals, fall over railings or climb stairs. Yes. At the tender age of newborn. When I arrived home from the hospital, this whole place looked like the baby police had been through it." She rolled her eyes. "I removed a lot of it, for now, but Robbie should be safe to roam without constant supervision," Thea assured her.

The women walked into the foyer as Moira and Walter arrived.

"Oh, give me one of my grandbabies!" her mother said as she hugged Thea before plucking Meghan out her arms. Walter, close on her heels, grabbed Rebecca.

He kissed Thea on her cheek. "All my girls in one place. I'm a lucky man," he said proudly.

"Not all," Oliver said as he carried a car seat into the house. He placed his two month old sleeping daughter on the foyer table as he went around greeting his relatives before stopping beside his wife, his arm snaking around her waist.

Tommy peeked under the blanket. "Olivia is out for the count," he declared.

Felicity smiled. "She fell asleep on the drive over. I doubt she'll wake up anytime soon."

The front door opened. "I hope I'm not late?" Diggle asked as he strolled in, Carly beside him.

There was a loud round of male ribbing and back slaps.

"Just in time," Oliver quipped.

"Then shall we men get the grill going?" Tommy asked as he walked over to Thea. "You going to be alright?" He always made sure she was comfortable.

She nodded, giving him a quick kiss. "I'll be fine. Mom, Felicity and Carly are here and will lend a hand if I need any help."

"Shout if you need me," he said, leading the men out. Diggle swung Robbie up onto his shoulders and followed Tommy, Oliver close behind.

"What is it with men and a barbeque?" Felicity asked, amused.

Walter looked at them in disappointment. "Women will never understand," he said, depositing Rebecca into Carly's eager arms. He strolled in the direction the other men had disappeared in.

"I can't say that I lay awake trying to understand," Carly laughed.

Moira shook her head. "It's all so primitive."

"Me Tarzan, you Jane. I feed you from this animal that I killed and cooked," Thea joked.

The four women laughed as they carried the children into the kitchen.

* * *

Tommy never tired of spending time with his family and friends. Life with Thea was filled with similar days, in the company of the people he loved, with the woman he adored at his side. She'd given him so much in the time they'd been together. He still couldn't believe that she'd turned the mountain of stone he'd lived in throughout his life into a proper home that he now looked forward to returning to every night.

Apart from giving him a place where he belonged, she'd also given him a family, two beautiful children that he loved more than life itself, and she'd freed him from the burden of his father's twisted legacy. The last time he'd seen his parent had been shortly after his marriage when his father had gifted the controlling interest in the Merlyn Global Group to him. He didn't know why, but he liked to believe that in some small way, Malcolm had wanted to do something right. The Merlyn name meant something again and he'd make damn sure that his children grew up to be proud of it.

After putting the kids down for the night, he and Thea curled up on their bed, alone for the first time in hours.

"It was a good day, wasn't it?" he asked as he pulled her against him, his arm circling around her waist.

He felt her nod. "One of the best. Our children are lucky to have such a large family who loves them as much as we do."

"They're lucky to have a mother as wonderful as you," he said sincerely.

She turned in his arms and tenderly traced the shape of his eyebrows with her finger. "I love you, Merlyn."

"Not as much as I love _you_, Merlyn."

Thea laughed. "You know, that never gets old. I love hearing it and you're the only one who says it in _that_ way."

He raised an eyebrow. "In what way is that?"

"That sexy way," she teased.

He smirked. "Are you coming onto me?"

She pushed him onto his back and straddled his waist, her eyes sparking mischievously, "You'd better believe it." She leaned down and gave him a kiss that addled his brain.

"I'm yours to command," he murmured softly, his hands lifting the hem of her nightgown.

She giggled. "I did tell you I wanted a house full of Merlyn babies. Since we've just started on that project and we probably need some time to adjust before we add to our brood, I do, however, like the idea of practicing. A lot."

His blood boiled at the husky tone in her voice. "You know, you always have such great ideas," he said as he reversed their positions and continued to demonstrate how much he liked her way of thinking.

Life had been kind to him. He had a wife he loved, children he adored, an extended family he couldn't do without and a job that gave him immense satisfaction. All of those things were because of Thea. Her love for him. Her belief in him. And her unwavering commitment and loyalty to him.

_How did I ever get this lucky?_

He still didn't have the answer to that question, but he did know one thing for certain. He'd spend the rest of his life making sure that she never regretted it.

**THE END**


End file.
